Facial blushing, which can spread to the ears, neck and chest, is commonly associated with anxiety disorders, particularly social phobias. It is also often seen in people with hyperhidrosis, a condition causing excessive perspiration. Blushing results when blood rushes into blood vessels near the surface of the skin, explains the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, or NIHCE, which notes that blushing is also a normal reaction to extreme emotions in both men and women. However, for some with excessive and easily triggered facial blushing, it can be a socially crippling phenomenon.
Step 1
Avoid personal triggers of blushing. Stress, hot or spicy foods, hot beverages, alcohol, hot temperatures, drastic fluctuations in temperature and direct sunlight are common triggers, according to the National Institutes of Health. Extreme emotions cause blushing, too, so avoiding situations in which you'll experience them until you've had time to compose yourself can help.
Step 2
Review whether any medication you take causes blushing as a side effect. If so, you'll need to stop the medication to stop blushing. Examples of drugs that can cause blushing include the breast cancer treatment tamoxifen, raloxifen and calcitonin for osteoporosis, glyceryl trinitrate and isosorbide dinitrate for angina, calcium-channel blockers used to control high blood pressure and certain prostate cancer treatments, notes NIHCE.
Step 3
Practice relaxation techniques to control strong emotional responses. Deep breathing can be practiced daily and used on the spot when necessary, suggests National Jewish Health. Stand, sit or lie down in a comfortable position, with your back straight. Inhale deeply for five seconds, feeling the air inflate your diaphragm below the ribs. Exhale gradually, relaxing your muscles. Envision a tranquil scene while deep breathing. Repeat as much as necessary.
Step 4
Seek psychological treatment to help control blushing in response to anxiety disorders. The New Zealand Dermatological Society, or NZDS, recommends cognitive behavioral therapy, which can help you monitor and control your thoughts and responses to triggers. A mental health professional can also teach you effective relaxation techniques and methods for coping with stress, anxiety and other strong emotions. Your psychiatrist may also prescribe anti-anxiety medication or beta-blockers to help control an anxiety disorder and related blushing.
Step 5
Talk to your doctor about prescriptions to remedy your facial blushing. Clonidine is often used to inhibit the expansion of blood vessels responsible for reddening of the skin, states NZDS.
Step 6
Discuss with your doctor whether an endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy, or ETS, is advisable if you have severe blushing that doesn't respond to other treatment options. In this procedure, primarily used as a treatment for hyperhidrosis, the sympathetic nerve chain is cut and sealed through an incision in the chest. The surgery successfully stops blushing in almost all instances, states New York Presbyterian Hospital. Standard surgical risks apply, and an ETS also has risk of causing increased perspiration and Horner's syndrome, a disorder causing droopy eyelids, pupil enlargement and facial sweating.
Tips and Warnings
- Some facial blushing or flushing results from an underlying medical condition. Examples include rosacea, menopause, carcinoid syndrome and mastocytosis, according to NIHCE. In such instances, treatment of the causal condition is necessary to stop blushing.
