Facial rose is a special form of shingles that usually occurs between the ages of 30 and 50. It can express itself in different degrees of severity and often represents a high psychological burden for those affected.
What is a face rose?
A facial rose is a skin disease that is triggered by the varicella zoster virus. This belongs to the herpes family and is also responsible for diseases such as shingles, which mainly occur on the trunk.
The condition manifests itself as a sore rash on the face and especially on the forehead, nose, cheeks, scalp and neck. The upper chest and back can also be affected by the disease. Facial rose is usually chronic, but it can be treated well with early detection.
Causes
Facial rose can have a number of causes. In most cases, it arises from an illness in childhood. For example, if you have chickenpox, you keep the virus in your body and expect the disease to break out.
This usually happens between the ages of 30 and 50. The herpes virus can also trigger facial roses. It becomes embedded in the spinal cord and often does not reappear until years or decades later. This makes it so difficult for those affected to find out the exact cause.
In addition, a weakened immune system can also lay the foundation for facial rose. Finally, stress promotes facial and shingles. It mainly affects women, but men can also get it.
Symptoms, ailments & signs
A face rose is usually announced by slight skin irritations such as burning sensation and pain to the touch. The symptoms initially only appear in one half of the face and then spread to the entire face. The outbreak of a facial rose is characterized by the development of noticeably reddened pustules, purulent vesicles and papules.
In the course of the disease, the skin changes spread to the entire head and the upper parts of the trunk. If the inflammation becomes severe, the blisters develop into lumps and indurations. Paralysis of the facial muscles or swelling in the area of the eyelids are less common, often associated with impaired vision.
A facial rose occurs predominantly in people between the ages of 30 and 50. The skin changes affect the entire face as well as the neck and neck. Redness and nodules appear especially on the bridge of the nose and cheeks. Occasionally the ears are also affected, which can lead to hearing and balance disorders.
Accompanying the facial rose, it can lead to fever, tiredness and fatigue. The symptoms develop in different phases of two to three days each before the vesicles finally open and the acute phase subsides. Often times, scars remain after recovery.
Diagnosis & course
The diagnosis of facial rose can be made by those affected by recognizing various symptoms. This includes a noticeable reddening of the skin, which is often associated with slight skin irritation and burning pain.
Usually only one half of the face is affected at first. In addition, larger pustules, papules and purulent vesicles appear on different parts of the face. The entire head and back can later be affected. It is therefore particularly important to see a dermatologist if symptoms occur. He can then carry out further examinations and make a distinction to similar skin diseases.
This is done on the one hand by means of a detailed conversation with the person concerned, who should point out existing diseases in childhood as well as the possibility of a herpes disease. In addition, private or professional stress factors are determined.
Facial roses can be severe if left untreated. The inflammation leads to permanent hardening and lump formation within a few weeks. Paralysis of the facial muscles occurs and eyesight is impaired by swelling of the eyelids. Facial rose is one of the most serious diseases and must therefore be treated at an early stage.
Complications
The face rose leads to relatively unpleasant and unsightly formations on the skin, which occur mainly on the face. In most cases, the affected person feels unattractive due to the facial rose and suffers from reduced self-confidence and inferiority complexes. In most cases, the symptom limits the quality of life.
Inflammations and infections can also develop, in which the skin swells considerably. It is also not uncommon for pustules to develop. The inflammation on the skin can furthermore lead to paralysis of the affected body regions and also impair eyesight if the eyelids are affected by the facial rose.
The diagnosis is usually made with the help of medication or ointments and does not lead to further complications or discomfort. Most cases are characterized by a positive course of the disease. If the pain becomes more severe, it can be contained with the help of painkillers. The face rose does not limit or reduce life expectancy.
When should you go to the doctor?
In many cases, skin changes on the face have serious causes. Therefore, a doctor should be consulted as soon as redness or other discolouration occurs. If swelling is seen or if nodules, ulcers, or growths develop, a doctor is needed. If skin blemishes or open wounds develop, a doctor should be consulted. Pathogens can enter the organism through the skin and lead to further illnesses and blood poisoning.
If there is pain, itching or a feeling of tension on the skin, a doctor should clarify the symptoms. If the skin changes spread or if they increase in intensity, a doctor must be consulted. If the person concerned suffers from a fever, inner restlessness, increased irritability or if they feel sick, a doctor should be consulted.
If emotional or mental problems arise, a doctor should also be consulted. If you are in a depressed or melancholy mood, you should consult a doctor as soon as it persists for several weeks. In the event of aggressive behavior or social withdrawal, it is advisable to contact a doctor. If food is refused because of the symptoms, there is cause for concern. If you lose weight or if you have problems concentrating or paying attention, you need to see a doctor.
Treatment & Therapy
Various therapies can be used to treat facial rose. When choosing the form of treatment, the stage of the disease and the previous course of treatment are taken into account. Most treatment concepts focus on relieving symptoms, as it is still not possible to completely cure facial and shingles. That is why it is extremely important to get there earlyAct. Once the disease is chronic, which is the case after three to six months, therapies are not very promising.
To the treatment of external complaints such as swelling, limit virus. Important active ingredients include deoxyuridine, idoxuridine and acyclovir. Injections with certain steroids have also been shown to be effective in the past. Rednessand pustules are prescribed ointments that inhibit irritation. In addition, certain preparations are used that stimulate the growth of the
Part of the therapy is also the targeted treatment of the pain. For this purpose, various anticonvulsants such as gabapentin or carbamazepine, which have an anti-seizure effect, are prescribed. If these drugs no longer work, morphine-like painkillers are used.
In addition, alternative treatments such as acupuncture can be used to treat facial rose. However, these forms of therapy only rarely lead to a complete and permanent healing of the disease. Only if the outbreak of the varicella zoster virus is avoided from the outset can facial rose or shingles be effectively avoided.
Outlook & forecast
If the shingles occurs on the face, a particularly sensitive area is affected. Therefore, consequential problems cannot be ruled out. Complications can arise, especially if those affected have a weakened immune system. If the eye is affected, the dermis can become inflamed.
The cornea can also become inflamed. If the facial rose remains untreated, the intraocular pressure can increase. The result is glaucoma (glaucoma). In the worst case, untreated facial roses can damage the optic nerve and lead to blindness.
Untreated shingles often leave scars. The sensitive skin in the face and neck area is particularly susceptible to this. The scars are formed without any external influence. So the person concerned doesn’t even have to scratch to get scars.
If the facial rose is treated in a timely manner, scars are extremely rare. Shingles on the face increase the risk of postherpetic neuralgia. The affected person feels persistent pain. These can appear years after a facial rose has been overcome.
The face rose is not fatal. In people with an acquired immune deficiency, the course of the disease is much more aggressive. AIDS sufferers are among the risk groups. A fatal outcome cannot be ruled out here either.
Prevention
Facial rose prevention can only be prevented to a very limited extent. However, the risk can be minimized through a healthy lifestyle. So if you do a lot of sport, eat a balanced diet and get enough sleep, you can at least minimize the risk of developing facial roses.
In general, everything should be done to strengthen the immune system to prevent the outbreak of the varicella zoster virus. Avoiding stress in private and at work is also an important factor.
If the facial rose has already broken out, severe pain and other complaints can at least be prevented by acting in good time. If the disease is recognized in the early stages and treated comprehensively, side effects can be suppressed as far as possible.
Aftercare
In the case of a facial rose, no special follow-up options are usually necessary or possible. The person affected is primarily dependent on the medical treatment of this disease, as this does not lead to self-healing. Furthermore, the triggering substance should be avoided so that the facial rose does not reappear.
The disease can be treated relatively well in most cases. As a rule, those affected are dependent on taking medication and using ointments and creams to alleviate the symptoms. It is important to ensure that the medication is taken correctly and, above all, that it is taken regularly.
Possible interactions should also be taken into account, and a doctor should be consulted in cases of doubt. Even after the symptoms have subsided, the drugs and creams must continue to be used so that the symptoms do not recur. As a rule, there are no particular complications.
In general, the virus responsible for facial rose should be avoided. The life expectancy of the person affected is not reduced by this disease. In many cases, contact with other sufferers of the facial rose makes sense.
You can do that yourself
Facial rose, regardless of its location, is almost always accompanied by an unpleasant itch. This has to be resisted in any case. Giving in to it would only worsen the symptoms. The affected areas of the skin could also become inflamed.
Instead, in addition to medical treatment and medication, skin-soothing measures are available. The boiled chamomile blossom brew has a calming effect and alleviates itching. Here, gauze is soaked with the brew and placed on the affected area. However, ointments and fats of any kind should be avoided. These clog the pores and may worsen the inflammation.
In addition to caffeine and nicotine, strongly spicy and especially spicy dishes should be avoided if possible. Steamed vegetables and light foods are good alternatives. Green tea, for example, is an excellent alternative to coffee: green tea has a stimulating and at the same time strengthening effect on the immune system. It’s anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and antibacterial.
Those affected should definitely avoid contact with pregnant women. Herpes viruses are transmissible and can cause irreparable damage to the unborn child. An outbreak of chickenpox in an unvaccinated mother in the last few weeks of pregnancy puts the child’s life in danger.
