Causes of facial blushing

Do you feel embarrassed when you drink because your face turns red? There are for two reasons alcohol can do this — and both are tied to your ethnicity. When you drink red wine, does your face mirror that ruby glow? Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services.

Facial flushing is a physiological response that can be attributed to many causes. For example, alcohol flush reaction , fever, exercise, emotions, inflammation, or allergies are just some of the reasons behind a markedly red face and other areas of the body. In rare cases, facial flushing can be a sign of a much bigger problem, including being a major symptom of carcinoid syndrome. Carcinoid syndrome is a group of signs and symptoms that are associated with tumors of the enterochromaffin cells. When rare cancerous tumors called carcinoid tumors secrete certain chemicals and hormones into your bloodstream, they cause a variety of symptoms. These cancerous tumors can be found in the intestines, appendix, rectum, lungs, stomach, pancreas, and thyroid. Carcinoid syndrome typically occurs in people who have advanced carcinoid tumors.

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Skin flushing or blushing describes feelings of warmth and rapid reddening of your neck, upper chest, or face. Blotchiness or solid patches of redness are often visible when blushing. Flushing happens as a result of increased blood flow. Whenever there is more blood flow to an area of skin such as your cheeks , the blood vessels enlarge to compensate.