Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsBenign Causes of Facial FlushingMalignant Causes of Facial FlushingSummary
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Benign Causes of Facial Flushing
Malignant Causes of Facial Flushing
Summary
There are many possible causes for red, hot cheeks in adults, commonly known as facial flushing. Physiologically, it occurs when blood vessels just below the surface of the skin, calledcapillaries, widen and fill with blood.
This article looks at seven possible causes of facial flushing, bothbenign(harmless) andmalignant(cancerous).
mheim3011 / iStock / Getty Images
Facial flushing can occur spontaneously for any number of reasons, most of which are relatively mild.
Extreme Emotions
When you are embarrassed, angry, or experience any strong emotion, your body may release a hormone calledepinephrine(adrenaline)which causes blood vessels to dilate (widen). Epinephrine is one of the hormones associated with the “fight-or-flight” instinct that helps our body respond to threats.
When epinephrine is spontaneously released, dilated blood vessels cause the overlying skin to turn red and hot.
Changes in Body Temperature
Ahigh feveris a common cause of facial flashing. Other causes include exercising strenuously or being overheated in hot climates or places like a sauna or steam room.
Taking an antipyretic drug like aspirin orTylenol (acetaminophen)can help ease fever. Placing a moist, cool cloth on the face can help ease facial flushing.
Do not use aspirin in children or teens with fever as it is linked to a potentially life-threatening reaction known asReye’s syndrome.
Menopause
Estrogen, the hormone that helps regulates menstrual periods, also influences a part of the brain called thehypothalamuswhich acts as the body’s thermostat. Fluctuating estrogen levels during menopause can make it difficult for the hypothalamus to regulate temperature, leading the hot flashes and facial flushing.
Estrogen-replacement therapy (ERT)may help ease hot flashes during menopause.
Spicy Foods
When you eat capsaicin, it stimulates a receptor in the digestive tract called capsaicin receptor TRPV1. The stimulation of these receptors makes your body feel warmer so that you can sweat and cool it back down. Facial flushing occurs with the sudden rush of heat.
Rosacea
Alcohol Use
Alcohol flush reactionis a condition common among many Asians who experience facial flushing after drinking alcohol. Also referred to as Asian flush syndrome, Asian flush, or Asian glow, it affects up to 36% of East Asians, including people of Japanese, Chinese, and Korean descent. Nausea, headache, and rapid heart rate can also occur.
Medications
Some medications used to treat high blood pressure, thyroid disease, and other conditions can also trigger an inflammatory reaction that leads to facial flushing.
These include:
Carcinoid syndrome is a rare condition typically affecting people with advancedcarcinoid tumors. These rare, slow-growing tumors affect hormone-releasingneuroendocrine cells. The tumors can develop in different parts of the body, including the digestive tract, lungs, and ovaries.
Some carcinoid tumors—most often those of the digestive tract—release a hormone calledserotonin. Among its many functions, serotonin regulates body temperatures, moods, sleep, hunger, and sexual behavior.
With carcinoid syndrome, the excessive release of serotonin can cause symptoms like:
The treatment of carcinoid syndrome usually involves treating the underlying cancer. But because most of these tumors don’t cause carcinoid syndrome until they are advanced, the cancer may be incurable. In such cases, the treatment will be focused on easing symptoms and slowing the progression of the disease.
A Word From VerywellThis article covers most of the common causes of flushing, but some rarer causes should also be considered. Pheochromocytomas, which release vasoactive mediators like catecholamines that cause hypertension, are also associated with flushing. Some patients with medullary thyroid cancers, pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors, and endogenous Cushing syndrome can also develop flushing.—KASHIF J. PIRACHA, MD, MEDICAL EXPERT BOARD
A Word From Verywell
This article covers most of the common causes of flushing, but some rarer causes should also be considered. Pheochromocytomas, which release vasoactive mediators like catecholamines that cause hypertension, are also associated with flushing. Some patients with medullary thyroid cancers, pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors, and endogenous Cushing syndrome can also develop flushing.—KASHIF J. PIRACHA, MD, MEDICAL EXPERT BOARD
This article covers most of the common causes of flushing, but some rarer causes should also be considered. Pheochromocytomas, which release vasoactive mediators like catecholamines that cause hypertension, are also associated with flushing. Some patients with medullary thyroid cancers, pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors, and endogenous Cushing syndrome can also develop flushing.
—KASHIF J. PIRACHA, MD, MEDICAL EXPERT BOARD
12 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Nikolic M, Majdandzic M, Colonnesi C, de Vente W, Moller E, Bogels S.The unique contribution of blushing to the development of social anxiety disorder symptoms: Results from a longitudinal study.J Child Psychol Psychiatry.2020 Dec;61(12):1339–48. doi:10.1111/jcpp.13221Walter EJ, Hanna-Jumma S, Carraretto M, Forni L.The pathophysiological basis and consequences of fever.Crit Care. 2016;20:200. doi:10.1186/s13054-016-1375-5National Organization for Rare Disorders.Reye syndrome.Freedman RR.Menopausal hot flashes: Mechanisms, endocrinology, treatment.J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 2014;142:115–20. doi:10.1016/j.jsbmb.2013.08.010Fattori V, Hohmann MSN, Rossaneis AC Pinho-Ribeiro FA, Verri WA.Capsaicin: Current understanding of its mechanisms and therapy of pain and other pre-clinical and clinical uses.Molecules.2016 Jul;21(7):844. doi:10.3390/molecules21070844Ahn CS, Huang WW.Rosacea pathogenesis.Dermatol Clin. 2018;36(2):81-6. doi:10.1016/j.det.2017.11.001Cho Y, Kwak S, Lewis SJ, et al.Exploring the utility of alcohol flushing as an instrumental variable for alcohol intake in Koreans.Sci Rep. 2018;8(1):458. doi:10.1038/s41598-017-18856-zNew Zealand Trust/DermNet.Flushing.National Organization of Rare Disorders.Carcinoid syndrome.American Cancer Society.Tests for gastrointestinal carcinoid tumors.Ravikumar R, Avasthi S, Avasthi D.Flushing: A diagnostic dilemma.Cureus. 2021 Jun 8;13(6):e15515. doi:10.7759/cureus.15515Hannah-Shmouni F, Stratakis CA, Koch CA.Flushing in (neuro)endocrinology.Rev Endocr Metab Disord. 2016;17(3):373–380. doi:10.1007/s11154-016-9394-8
12 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Nikolic M, Majdandzic M, Colonnesi C, de Vente W, Moller E, Bogels S.The unique contribution of blushing to the development of social anxiety disorder symptoms: Results from a longitudinal study.J Child Psychol Psychiatry.2020 Dec;61(12):1339–48. doi:10.1111/jcpp.13221Walter EJ, Hanna-Jumma S, Carraretto M, Forni L.The pathophysiological basis and consequences of fever.Crit Care. 2016;20:200. doi:10.1186/s13054-016-1375-5National Organization for Rare Disorders.Reye syndrome.Freedman RR.Menopausal hot flashes: Mechanisms, endocrinology, treatment.J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 2014;142:115–20. doi:10.1016/j.jsbmb.2013.08.010Fattori V, Hohmann MSN, Rossaneis AC Pinho-Ribeiro FA, Verri WA.Capsaicin: Current understanding of its mechanisms and therapy of pain and other pre-clinical and clinical uses.Molecules.2016 Jul;21(7):844. doi:10.3390/molecules21070844Ahn CS, Huang WW.Rosacea pathogenesis.Dermatol Clin. 2018;36(2):81-6. doi:10.1016/j.det.2017.11.001Cho Y, Kwak S, Lewis SJ, et al.Exploring the utility of alcohol flushing as an instrumental variable for alcohol intake in Koreans.Sci Rep. 2018;8(1):458. doi:10.1038/s41598-017-18856-zNew Zealand Trust/DermNet.Flushing.National Organization of Rare Disorders.Carcinoid syndrome.American Cancer Society.Tests for gastrointestinal carcinoid tumors.Ravikumar R, Avasthi S, Avasthi D.Flushing: A diagnostic dilemma.Cureus. 2021 Jun 8;13(6):e15515. doi:10.7759/cureus.15515Hannah-Shmouni F, Stratakis CA, Koch CA.Flushing in (neuro)endocrinology.Rev Endocr Metab Disord. 2016;17(3):373–380. doi:10.1007/s11154-016-9394-8
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Nikolic M, Majdandzic M, Colonnesi C, de Vente W, Moller E, Bogels S.The unique contribution of blushing to the development of social anxiety disorder symptoms: Results from a longitudinal study.J Child Psychol Psychiatry.2020 Dec;61(12):1339–48. doi:10.1111/jcpp.13221Walter EJ, Hanna-Jumma S, Carraretto M, Forni L.The pathophysiological basis and consequences of fever.Crit Care. 2016;20:200. doi:10.1186/s13054-016-1375-5National Organization for Rare Disorders.Reye syndrome.Freedman RR.Menopausal hot flashes: Mechanisms, endocrinology, treatment.J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 2014;142:115–20. doi:10.1016/j.jsbmb.2013.08.010Fattori V, Hohmann MSN, Rossaneis AC Pinho-Ribeiro FA, Verri WA.Capsaicin: Current understanding of its mechanisms and therapy of pain and other pre-clinical and clinical uses.Molecules.2016 Jul;21(7):844. doi:10.3390/molecules21070844Ahn CS, Huang WW.Rosacea pathogenesis.Dermatol Clin. 2018;36(2):81-6. doi:10.1016/j.det.2017.11.001Cho Y, Kwak S, Lewis SJ, et al.Exploring the utility of alcohol flushing as an instrumental variable for alcohol intake in Koreans.Sci Rep. 2018;8(1):458. doi:10.1038/s41598-017-18856-zNew Zealand Trust/DermNet.Flushing.National Organization of Rare Disorders.Carcinoid syndrome.American Cancer Society.Tests for gastrointestinal carcinoid tumors.Ravikumar R, Avasthi S, Avasthi D.Flushing: A diagnostic dilemma.Cureus. 2021 Jun 8;13(6):e15515. doi:10.7759/cureus.15515Hannah-Shmouni F, Stratakis CA, Koch CA.Flushing in (neuro)endocrinology.Rev Endocr Metab Disord. 2016;17(3):373–380. doi:10.1007/s11154-016-9394-8
Nikolic M, Majdandzic M, Colonnesi C, de Vente W, Moller E, Bogels S.The unique contribution of blushing to the development of social anxiety disorder symptoms: Results from a longitudinal study.J Child Psychol Psychiatry.2020 Dec;61(12):1339–48. doi:10.1111/jcpp.13221
Walter EJ, Hanna-Jumma S, Carraretto M, Forni L.The pathophysiological basis and consequences of fever.Crit Care. 2016;20:200. doi:10.1186/s13054-016-1375-5
National Organization for Rare Disorders.Reye syndrome.
Freedman RR.Menopausal hot flashes: Mechanisms, endocrinology, treatment.J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 2014;142:115–20. doi:10.1016/j.jsbmb.2013.08.010
Fattori V, Hohmann MSN, Rossaneis AC Pinho-Ribeiro FA, Verri WA.Capsaicin: Current understanding of its mechanisms and therapy of pain and other pre-clinical and clinical uses.Molecules.2016 Jul;21(7):844. doi:10.3390/molecules21070844
Ahn CS, Huang WW.Rosacea pathogenesis.Dermatol Clin. 2018;36(2):81-6. doi:10.1016/j.det.2017.11.001
Cho Y, Kwak S, Lewis SJ, et al.Exploring the utility of alcohol flushing as an instrumental variable for alcohol intake in Koreans.Sci Rep. 2018;8(1):458. doi:10.1038/s41598-017-18856-z
New Zealand Trust/DermNet.Flushing.
National Organization of Rare Disorders.Carcinoid syndrome.
American Cancer Society.Tests for gastrointestinal carcinoid tumors.
Ravikumar R, Avasthi S, Avasthi D.Flushing: A diagnostic dilemma.Cureus. 2021 Jun 8;13(6):e15515. doi:10.7759/cureus.15515
Hannah-Shmouni F, Stratakis CA, Koch CA.Flushing in (neuro)endocrinology.Rev Endocr Metab Disord. 2016;17(3):373–380. doi:10.1007/s11154-016-9394-8
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