Blushing: More Than Just Embarrassment

I'm trying to think when it was the last time I blushed. I think I was getting a physical not long ago and the nurse read one of my tattoos. The fact that she even FOUND the tattoo in question was in itself enough to make me blush. But the fact is that blushing can mean a lot more than just something that serves as a signal that you are embarrassed or nervous. Blushing may also be one of the earliest symptoms of a condition known as "rosacea" (rose-AY-sha) -- which according to rosacea.net is a chronic (long-term) skin disease that causes redness and swelling, primarily on the face. Other areas that can be affected are the scalp, neck, ears, chest and back.

Blushing on the other hand results from dilation of the blood vessels. Blushing is most common on facial skin because -- according to skincarephyscians.com- the small blood vessels or capillaries are packed in a very dense distribution. Additionally, the blood vessels of the checks are slightly wider and closer to the surface of the skin than in other areas of the body.

Conversely, those afflicted with rosacea may first notice a tendency to flush or blush easily. The condition can occur over a long period of time and often progresses to a persistent redness, pimples and visible blood vessels in the center of the face that can eventually involve the cheeks, forehead, chin and nose. Since rosacea causes facial swelling and redness, it is easily confused with other skin conditions, such as acne and sunburn. For this reason, rosacea is known as the "great pretender," and often incorrectly referred to as "adult acne."

Now let's not confuse blushing with flushing. Flushing is generally more intense than blushing and can extend over larger portions of the body. More often than` not, flushing is often associated with a more serious underlying disease. According to medicinenet.com, some of the more common causes of flushing include fever, menopause, reaction to medication and even eating hot and spicy foods.

But getting back to rosacea: this skin disease -- according to rosacea.org -- affects an estimated 14 million Americans. Adults, especially those between 30 and 50 years of age who have lighter skin, blonde hair and blue eyes, are most likely to suffer from rosacea. However, rosacea can affect children and people of any skin type. Anyone out there old enough to remember WC Fields? That big red nose of his may have been a result of too much alcohol....or it may have been a symptom of rosacea (see photo).

While the precise cause of rosacea remains a mystery, researchers believe that heredity and environmental factors are to blame. One explanation is that something causes the blood vessels to swell. Exactly what that "something" is; is still being studied. .

According to the International Rosacea Foundation, rosacea is aggravated by many factors, including sunlight, physical and mental stress, sinus and allergy conditions, hot liquids, spicy foods, extremes in temperature, alcohol (either topically applied or orally consumed) and stress. But experts agree that what aggravates one person's rosacea may have no effect on another person's condition.

A March 1, 2007 announcement posted on Discoveries and Breakthroughs Inside Science (www.aip.org) pointed out that "...antibiotics have been the traditional treatment for the skin disorder rosacea, but patients often develop antibiotic resistance to the drugs. A drug recently approved by the FDA, Oracea, contains a low dose of the antibiotic doxycycline, which reduces the risk of antibiotic resistance, and as a result, stops the release of chemicals that cause inflammation, bumps and pimples in the skin..."

Unfortunately, there is no known cure for embarrassment. But for sufferers of rosacea, it looks like a reliable treatment has finally been developed.