Emotions can also cause facial flushing, referred to as blushing.
This article looks at seven possible causes of facial flushing, bothbenign(harmless) andmalignant(cancerous).
When epinephrine is spontaneously released, dilated blood vessels cause the overlying skin to turn red and hot.
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Changes in Body Temperature
When the body becomes overheated, it responds by dilating blood vessels.
The dilation allows heat to be dispersed into the environment while triggeringsweatingto cool the body down.
Ahigh feveris a common cause of facial flashing.
Other causes include exercising strenuously or being overheated in hot climates or places like a sauna or steam room.
Taking an antipyretic drug like aspirin orTylenol (acetaminophen)can help ease fever.
Placing a moist, cool cloth on the face can help ease facial flushing.
Menopause
Menopauseis characterized byhot flashes.
Hot flashes are caused when sudden changes in hormones spontaneously change the body temperature.
Estrogen-replacement therapy (ERT)may help ease hot flashes during menopause.
When you eat capsaicin, it stimulates a receptor in the digestive tract called capsaicin receptor TRPV1.
Facial flushing occurs with the sudden rush of heat.
Rosacea
Rosaceais a chronic skin condition characterized by redness and skin bumps.
It is more common among adults over 30, especially those with lighter skin tones.
Rosacea is not contagious or resulting from poor hygiene.Antibioticsoracne medicationsmay help reduce symptoms of rosacea and prevent disease progression.
Nausea, headache, and rapid heart rate can also occur.
Alcohol flush syndrome is because of the lack of an enzyme that helps break down alcohol.
Without this enzyme, alcohol is only partially broken down into a substance calledacetaldehyde.
These rare, slow-growing tumors affect hormone-releasingneuroendocrine cells.
Some carcinoid tumorsmost often those of the digestive tractrelease a hormone calledserotonin.
Among its many functions, serotonin regulates body temperatures, moods, sleep, hunger, and sexual behavior.
Heartburn medications likeTagamet (cimetidine)have also been used to treat facial flushing in people with carcinoid syndrome.
The treatment of carcinoid syndrome usually involves treating the underlying cancer.
In such cases, the treatment will be focused on easing symptoms and slowing the progression of the disease.
It can also develop with a fever.
when drinking alcohol, or as part of a chronic skin condition called rosacea.
Pheochromocytomas, which release vasoactive mediators like catecholamines that cause hypertension, are also associated with flushing.
Some patients with medullary thyroid cancers, pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors, and endogenous Cushing syndrome can also develop flushing.
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