Blushing

Blushing is the condition when the neck, ears, face as well as the upper part of one’s chest turns into red. In certain cases, a hot feeling is associated with the redness. In medical terms, the word used for blushing is flushing.

At times, the blood vessels present in the skin contract to an extent which prevents the blood flow. Once the blood vessels dilate, coming back to its normal state, blood gushes into the area, causing the area to appear more reddish in colour.

Blushing is usually found in teenagers due to hormonal activity, nervousness and anxiety.

The blushing varies from people to people. Some people blush more due to the intake of spicy foods where as other people may react with less flushing.

Idiopathic cranio-facial erytherma is the condition of extreme blushing.

Some other conditions related to blushing are

Rosacea which occurs due to permanent dilations of the blood vessels.

Hyperhidrosis occurs where people experience excessive sweating of the hands and face, along with facial flushing.

Flushing occurs due to menopause. In very rare cases, stomach pain, diarrhoea and palpitations occur along with flushing.

Causes

The common causes of flushing are:

• Anger
• embarrassment
• guilt
• intake of alcohol
• intake of spicy as well as hot food
• carcinoid syndrome
• intake of hot drinks
• menopause
• high fever of above 100.4F
• sudden variations of cold and hot temperatures
• use of monosodium glutamate in food
• excessive exercising

The medications used for treating blushing include;

• tamoxifen in case of breast cancer.
• raloxifen in case of osteoporosis
• using calcitonin in bone disorders
• for angina, glyceryl trinitrate can be used.
• calcium channel blockers can be used for hypertension as well as angina.

Prostrate tumours in men that cause blushing can be treated using:

• goserelin
• leuprorelin
• triptorelin
• buserelin

The fear that develops in people which is associated with blushing is called as erythrophobia.

Treatment

Treatment for blushing depends on the reason for blushing. Conditions like rosacea require proper diagnosis and treatment.

Avoiding the triggers that cause blushing will help to control the symptoms.

Psychological treatments for blushing include:

• Cognitive Behavioural therapy which will help to trace the unwanted feelings and discard them. This helps to modify the behaviour in a way to respond to those thoughts more positively.
• Breathing exercises will help the person who suffers from this condition to relieve anxiety as well as breathing rapidly.
• The way a person thinks about the blushing situations can be changed. This will help to redirect the way you think.
• The fear about blushing can be reduced or even eliminated using a technique known as clinical hypnotherapy.
• One of the methods which can be used enhance the symptoms of blushing so that the anxiety is eliminated is paradoxical intention.
• The use of colour corrective moisturisers helps to camouflage blushing. This also helps to cover up the veins that are broken.
• Hyperhidrosis is treated using endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy