Facial Flushing - Health Tips

Thoughts on Facial Flushing by Dr. Steven Kern, MD
February 2021

Flushing may have multiple causes.  It is most often due to an increased sensitivity of your blood vessels to substances produced by your body.  It may be aggravated by various substances found in certain foods or certain medications.  Even if flushing is aggravated by some of these factors, if it is serious and unremitting, blood and urine tests will be performed to be certain there is no underlying treatable illness causing the flushing.

Please circle any item if you have you noticed any association with flushing.

Foods

Coffee
Tea
Mushrooms
Cheese
Chocolate
Spicy foods, especially red chili peppers 

If you have alcohol-associated flushing, are you exposed to any of the following industrial solvents?  (Circle if yes)

Trichloroethylene-N
N-dimethylformamide
N-butyraldoxime 

If you have alcohol-associated flushing, do you use or eat any of the following? (Circle if yes)

Disulfiram (Anabuse)
Metronidazole (Flagyl)
Chlorpromade (Diabinese)
GriseofulvinCalcium carbamideMushrooms
Cephalosporin antibiotics
Cephalexin (Keflex)
Cephradine (Anspor, Velocef)
Cefadroxil (Duricef, Ultracef)
Cefaclor (Ceclor)
Cefuroxime axetil (Ceftin)

Circle if you have noted an association with:

Frankfurters, bacon, salami, ham (nitrites)
Fresh fruits and vegetables, especially in restaurant salad bars (sulfites)
Monosodium glutamate seasoning often used in Chinese cooking (“Accent”)

Medications (circle any you use)

NitroglycerinHydralazine (Apresoline)
Minoxidil (Loniten)
Prazosin (Minipress)
Terazosin (Hytrin)
Nifedipine (Procardia)
Verapamil (Calan)
Diltiazem (Cardizem)
Nicardipine (Cardene)
TheophyllineFlecaininde (Tambocor)
Quinidine
Nicotinic acid (sometimes in vitamin complex pills)
Cyclosporine (Sandimmune)
Bromocriptine in Parkinson’s DiseaseMorphine

Other

Have you had a spinal cord injury or disease?  No  Yes
Do you have a weakness or numbness of arms or legs?  No  Yes
Have you injured your parotid gland or jaw?   No  Yes
Have you had stomach surgery?   No   Yes

Circle if you have:

High blood pressure
Severe headaches
NauseaVomiting
Chest pain
Abdominal pain
Profuse sweating
Diarrhea
Wheezing
Bloody or black tarry stools
Abnormal heart rhythm
 

©2011 Park City Dermatology. Last updated March 24, 2011

Source: Vivacare
Last updated : 2/10/2023

Facial Flushing - Health Tips originally published by Vivacare