Facial redness can be caused by a host of conditions, including sun damage, rosacea, seborrhea, and acne. If you've been dealing with rough, red skin and want to alleviate this sometimes painful condition, it's important to learn what might be causing your facial redness.
Some people think of a rosy complexion as a sign of good health. But red patches on the face may point to something more troubling—a long-lasting skin disorder called rosacea. Rosacea (pronounced ro-ZAY-she-ah) may start as redness on the cheeks, nose, chin or forehead. It might even look like an outbreak of pimples.
Flushed skin occurs when the blood vessels just below the skin widen and fill with more blood. For most people, occasional flushing is normal and can result from being too hot, exercising, or emotional responses. Flushed skin can also be a side effect of drinking alcohol or taking certain medications.
Facial redness can be caused by a number of conditions, including rosacea, broken blood vessels from sun damage, seborrhea and acne. These conditions may be congenital or onset with age.
While facial flushing may occur while your blood pressure is higher than usual, it occurs in people without hypertension just as often.
Summary. Facial blushing is an involuntary reddening of the face due to embarrassment or stress. Severe blushing is common in people who have social phobia, which is a type of anxiety disorder characterised by extreme and persistent anxiety in social and performance situations.
Many people associate warm, red, or rosy cheeks with good health, but they can also occur with acne, hot flashes, lupus, and other health issues.
Skin that is suddenly red and burning, sometimes called erythema or flushing, is a common symptom with many potential causes. Sunburn, exposure to an irritant, and medication use are just a few. Most cases of skin redness are easy to diagnose and treat.
Other drugs, including opiates, amyl nitrite, butyl nitrite, cocaine, heroin, alcohol, and amphetamines, as well as alcohol combined with drugs, can cause severe reactions with flushing.
Intense feelings like stress, anger, or embarrassment can cause the blood vessels in your face to widen. This is a normal reaction of your nervous system but can be severe if you have anxiety. If your emotions make you feel flushed, you could also notice: Sweating. Feeling of heat in your face.
In the presence of cardiac failure, purplish-red discoloration of the cheeks with underlying and surrounding telangiectases should immediately suggest carcinoid heart disease.
Lupus Can Cause a Rash Across the Nose and Cheeks
A butterfly-shaped rash across the nose and cheeks is the hallmark of lupus, which develops when the immune system attacks organs and tissues throughout the body, leading to inflammation.
Fifth disease (erythema infectiosum) is a childhood condition that appears as a bright red rash on your child's cheeks. It's nicknamed “slapped cheek disease” because of this rash. A virus called parvovirus B19 causes fifth disease. This virus is common and very contagious.
Common causes of blushing
It's often caused by feeling embarrassed, hot or anxious. Sometimes other symptoms you have might give you an idea of what's causing it. Some medicines can also cause blushing. Check the side effects of any medicine you're taking to see if blushing or flushing is listed.
Anxiety can cause a red face, tingling face, pupil dilation, dry lips, and more. The causes depend on each symptom. Sometimes, face symptoms create more anxiety. Treatment focused on anxiety, rather than face-related issues, is considered the best recommendation for reducing the frequency of these issues.
Persistent redness across the face may seem, at first, to be merely a blush of embarrassment or a touch of sunburn. But if the "blush" does not fade and the "sunburn" does not heal, it may actually be a form of autoimmune disorder that is causing inflammation of the head and face.
Although they can vary from person to person, the most common hypoxia symptoms are: Changes in the color of your skin, ranging from blue to cherry red.
Symptoms that MAY be related to high blood pressure
Facial flushing: When blood pressure is temporarily higher than normal, the face can flush or turn red.