Red Face Symptoms

There are many things that can cause a face to turn red on a temporary basis, such as alcohol and spicy food, being embarrassed in social situations or having a sensitivity to niacin or monosodium glutamate (MSG) . However, there are many conditions that can cause redness of the face more chronic. This article describes some of them.

1. Cushing Syndrome
   Cushing's syndrome is a hormonal disorder that is caused by exposure of the body too much cortisol (a stress hormone). of Cushing's syndrome is rare, and in addition to flushing, symptoms may include: hypertension, high blood sugar, fatigue, irritability, depression and anxiety. Women with Cushing's syndrome often show signs of increased hair growth on face, neck, abdomen, chest and thighs.


2. (SLE, systemic lupus erythematosus)
   Lupus is an autoimmune disease affecting multiple organs and tissues, including skin, heart, kidneys, liver, lungs, joints, brain and blood. The flushing is sometimes associated with lupus is a rash on the cheeks and nose. The flushing with lupus is a butterfly pattern (butterfly rash) and does not include the forehead. Patients with lupus can also have rashes on other parts of their bodies, which often develop or worsen after sun exposure. Lupus is often diagnosed by antibody testing.


3. Rosacea
   The flushing of rosacea involves the cheeks, nose and forehead and gradually develops. It begins with a redness of the face that resembles facial flushing that does not go away and in many cases resembles a burn. However, while the initial flushing may vary from day to day, rosacea symptoms progressively get worse: in addition to the initial flushing, small papules and pustules appear on the face, which can break and ooze. The face often feels itchy and painful. In progressive rosacea, capillaries become permanently widened (telangiectasias). These telangiectasias do not respond well to topical treatments and cause the face to have a "residual" redness. Telangiectasia can be effectively treated with intense pulsed light.


4. Scarlatina
   Scarlet fever is caused by an exotoxin of Streptococcus pyogenes. Clinical signs include high fever and sore throat followed by a rough (sandpaper-like) rash over the whole body a period of 3-4 days . The skin starts to peel after the rash has disappeared. Other classic signs of scarlet fever are a bright red tongue with a strawberry appearance and redness on the cheeks of the face (nose and surrounding areas of the mouth are usually not red).


5. Rubella
   Rubella (also called German measles) is a disease caused by the rubella virus. It has an incubation period of 2-3 weeks and the symptoms are a rash that develops first on the face which spreads to the trunk, arms and legs. Complications due to rubella are rare, but rubella can cause complications during pregnancy if the infection occurs within the first 20 weeks of pregnancy.