You’re 30 years old, the years of teenage acne well behind you. Or so you thought until you looked in the mirror one day and saw a rash of pimples and bumps across your cheeks. How embarrassing.

Some people would tell you it could be worse. T hey’ve got bumps of scar tissue building up on their noses, turning them into modern-day replicas of W.C. Fields.

The symptoms described above are widely different, but the diagnoses from a dermatologist would be the same: They’ve all got an incompletely understood skin disease called rosacea, and they’re far from alone. It has been estimated that somewhere between 14 million and 25 million Americans suffer from it. Among them, according to a New York Times article quoted by the National Rosacea Society, is former President Bill Clinton.

Rosacea is defined as a chronic, inflammatory skin condition that affects adults. It causes redness in your face and produces small, red, pus-filled bumps or pustules. Left untreated, rosacea tends to be progressive, which means it gets worse over time. However, in most people rosacea is cyclic. This means your rosacea signs and symptoms may flare up for a period of weeks to months and then lessen for a while before flaring up again. Besides acne, rosacea can be mistaken for other skin problems, such as skin allergy or eczema.

While there are several different types of rosacea, the skin condition has several common denominators, including:

• Red areas on your face

• Small, red bumps or pustules on your nose, cheeks, forehead and chin (but not the same as whiteheads or blackheads)

• Red, bulbous nose (rhinophyma)

• Visible small blood vessels on your nose and cheeks (telangiectasia)

• Burning or gritty sensation in your eyes (ocular rosacea)

• Tendency to flush or blush easily

Along with these common symptoms, most forms of rosacea occur in three distinct phases.

Pre-rosacea. Rosacea may begin as a simple tendency to flush or blush easily, then progress to a persistent redness in the central portion of your face, particularly your nose. This redness results from the dilation of blood vessels close to your skin’s surface. This phase may sometimes be referred to as pre-rosacea.

Vascular rosacea. As signs and symptoms worsen, vascular rosacea may develop — small blood vessels on your nose and cheeks swell and become visible (telangiectasia). Your skin may become overly sensitive. Vascular rosacea may also be accompanied by oily skin and dandruff.

Inflammatory rosacea. Small, red bumps or pustules may appear and persist, spreading across your nose, cheeks, forehead and chin. This is sometimes known as inflammatory rosacea.

Unfortunately, unlike acne,  rosacea rarely clears up on its own, and it tends to worsen over time if left untreated.  Many over-the-counter skin care products contain ingredients  such as acids, alcohol and other irritants, that may actually worsen rosacea. Because of the progressive nature of rosacea, an early diagnosis is important and treatments tend to be more effective when started earlier.   If you are currently experiencing  persistent redness of your face, see your doctor or a dermatologist for a diagnosis and proper treatment.

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Steve Middleton is the Founder and President of World Connections, Inc.  He is also a Charter Member of  the Village Connector Online Community Newspaper.  You can reach Steve at 410-544-3155  or via email at stevem@bigplanet.com.