Skin blushing/flushing

Alternative names:

blushing; flushing; red face

Home care:

Treatment depends on the cause.

• For a normal response to embarrassment or anger, you need to do nothing. However, if the response is really troublesome, a prescribed beta-blocker may help.
• For "hot flush" due to menopause, use a prescribed estrogen replacement.
• For fever, reduce the temperature.
• For alcoholism, try abstinence or temperance. For sensitivity to alcohol, practice abstinence.
• For blush due to medication, switch to a new medication or stop taking it. NEVER CHANGE MEDICATION WITHOUT CONSULTING YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER FIRST!

Call your health care provider if:

• there is continual and persistent flushing.
• the face flushes after taking a drink and there is pain in the armpit or neck (look for lumps or swellings).
• facial flushing is associated with diarrhea and wheezing.
• there is also a hump on the back of the neck (buffalo hump) and/or stria on the abdomen or elsewhere.

What to expect at your health care provider's office:

The medical history will be obtained and a physical examination performed.

Medical history questions documenting your skin blushing/flushing in detail may include:

• location
  • Do you have facial flushing (blushing)?
  • Does it affect the whole body?

• quality
  • Are you having hot flushes?

• time pattern
  • Do you have flushing attacks?
  • How often do you have flushing or blushing?
  • Are episodes getting worse?
  • Are they getting more frequent?

• aggravating factors
  • Is it worse after alcohol intake?

• other
  • What other symptoms are also present?
  • Is there diarrhea?
  • Is there wheezing?
  • Are there hives?
  • Is there difficulty breathing?

After seeing your health care provider:
You may want to add a diagnosis related to blushing or flushing to your personal medical record.