People often confuse between the skin conditions eczema and rosacea. This is because both their symptoms are very similar. In both skin conditions redness and swelling occurs. However, it is important to tell the difference between the two because the inappropriate treatment could make the condition worse. If a person starts the treatment for rosacea while he/she is actually suffering from eczema then it may make the disease much worse. The same would happen the other way around. Therefore, it is important to know how to differenciate the two skin conditions. In this OneHowTo article we're going to explain how to tell the difference between eczema and rosacea.
Symptoms of eczema and rosacea
One might think that the symptoms of eczema and rosacea are quite the same. But a trained dermatologist can easily differentiate between them.
The most common symptoms of eczema are:
- Red or brown patches on the skin
- Appearance of small bumps filled with fluid
- The skin becomes scaly or cracked
- Itching
- Eczema is generally drier than rosacea
The most common symptoms of rosacea are:
- Reddening of the skin
- Appearance of small bumps filled with pus that resemble acne
- The skin thickens and becomes tender to touch
- Irritation of the skin
- Itching
- The eyes dry up
Where rosacea and eczema occur
A major difference between eczema and rosacea is its place of occurrence in a human body.
Eczema occurs in various body parts such as hands, arms, legs or feet. It can sometimes occur in face too. On the contrary, rosacea usually occurs in face. In rare case it occurs in chest, neck or back. Also, rosacea usually occurs in fair–skinned people.
When do eczema and rosacea occur?
In a person, eczema usually occurs since childhood i.e. in either early childhood or middle childhood. Eczema can be seen even in infants and it is known as infantile eczema. This condition can be hereditary, and usually a person who has developed eczema during childhood will most likely have it for the rest of their lives.
On the other hand, rosacea doesn’t occur in a person before adulthood, usually after the age of 30. This condition is mostly connected with older people, it is rarely seen in babies and young children.
Factors which make the condition worse
Another difference between the two skin conditions is the factors which make them worse. Eczema can become worse when subjected to some conditions such as stress, rapid change in temperature, contact with harsh soap or detergent or contact with wool clothing. Rosacea can also become worse by extreme temperatures and stress, but it is more affected by other factors. It can sometimes worsen sue to consumption of spicy or dairy food or alcoholic drinks and beverages.
Treatment for eczema and rosacea
The best to treat these two skin conditions is to use natural methods and organic products. Also, a healthy diet can prevent them to becoming worse. Both eczema and rosacea can be treated with moisturizers. However, eczema should be treated with vitamin based moisturizer while rosacea should be treated with salt mineral based moisturizer.
This moisturizer needs to be applied on the area affected. Rosacea will always be on the face while eczema might affect other parts of the body.
If you want more information, in this article we explain how to treat acne rosacea naturally at home.
This article is merely informative, oneHOWTO does not have the authority to prescribe any medical treatments or create a diagnosis. We invite you to visit your doctor if you have any type of condition or pain.
If you want to read similar articles to How to Tell the Difference between Eczema and Rosacea, we recommend you visit our Diseases & secondary effects category.