Flushing, Blushing & Redness Page 2

The parasympathetic system has the opposite function of calming our brain and body when we can relax more and while we sleep. Also our parasympathetic nervous system can calm us and prevent much stress by consuming more alkaline foods and drinks such as water, vegetable, fruits, etc. while reducing the acids foods that we know cause the reaction of beer, pizza, sweets, etc. The parasympathetic nervous system can very quickly take control of the body and brain stress as you will learn more about on this page and our 'Cause or Etiology and Cure' page.

Many rosacea patients have ocular rosacea with symptoms of redness or flushing of the eyes. Usually the person is very stressed resulting from many causes of exercise, wind, cold temperatures or dry humidity that wicks the moisture out of the eyes, or beverages such as coffee, alcohol, tea and the many soft drinks or colas. The ocular rosacea flushing symptoms can be soothed and the beauty of the eye improved noticeably with the use of Rosacea-Ltd IV and the ocular rosacea information found on our ocular rosacea page. The ocular rosacea symptoms usually persist for years without proper help. Various rosacea treatments usually that consist of a combination of 2/3rds antibiotics and 1/3rd of steroids is the past ocular rosacea treatment for the inflammatory 'red eye' symptoms.

The skin becomes more red by the stimulation of hot showers/baths, which is vascular dilation. Overall, it is better to shower in tepid water in the range of 85 to 95 degrees to cool the body and prevent vascular dilation. You may choose to shower with warmer water to open the pores up to clear them or for relaxing; however, remember to begin to lower the temperature to a much lower degree for cooling off to prevent the skin from turning red or to reduce the redness from the prior higher temperature. The cooler water temperature produces vascular constriction.

The best way to avoid this type of flushing or vascular dilation is not to drink any alcohol. All alcohol is fermented, but because beer and wines (red wine being the worst) are not further distilled, they can cause allergy redness for many rosacea sufferers. Alcohol is a diuretic which pushes water out of the body cells which lowers the body and brain pH. In this state of "dehydration", the body is prone to flushing due to the low pH of alcohol. Alcohol is a concentrated source of calories and is metabolized very quickly. This causes the blood vessels to dilate causing redness. And as the brain becomes more 'acidic or toxic' we forget that we can not drive an automobile as well and sometimes 'intoxication' causes problems other than rosacea flushing. A proper alcohol intake for fun and to prevent rosacea symptoms should be a part of your rosacea diet treatment and driving plan.

If you chose to drink alcohol, here are some recommendations to minimize the flushing effect:

• Avoid beer as it is higher in carbohydrates and has the lowest pH of an alcohol (usually in the range of 2.2 to 2.9), however, if you enjoy beer, drink your domestic beer from your own country as it is usually sold within six weeks of production. Foreign beers imported into your country usually have preservatives which make for more redness. Domestic 'light beer' usually does not have as many carbohydrates and less alcohol content making it the beer of choice.
• Wine is heavy in carbohydrates and sugars and even higher in preservatives/sulfides and alcohol causing more flushing with the red wines usually being the worst for most of us. If you prefer wine, a white wine would be best to prevent rosacea symptoms. Wine usually has a pH from 3 to 3.8.
• It is better to drink small amounts of gin, vodka or whiskey with a 4.0 pH diluted with water usually with a pH of 7.4. When a jigger (usually a measurement of a 1.5 fluid ounce or 44 ml. or a shot) of alcohol is added to six ounces of iced water with a 7.4 pH, the results is a drink with a pH of 6.5 to 7.0 that relaxes the body and brain for social purpose as that is often the objective and to prevent the rosacea symptoms, slurring of speech and intoxication while driving. And you will find that 'fat accumulation' does not happen to the body. Whereas if the same alcohol is mixed with a diet coke or sugar coke or other 'acid' soft drinks with a pH of 2.5, the result is a 'very intoxicating drink' that adds rosacea symptoms, intoxication, and fat accumulation to our sides and frontal areas. An excellent choice would be a Long Island Ice Tea substituting the mix with water and diluting it. Small amounts of gin are frequently less stimulating than vodka or whiskey. You should "chase" any alcoholic drink with water with a high pH to reduce redness as part of your "rosacea diet social life". For your future convenience, a "shot or jigger" is equal to 1 1/2 ounces, which equals 4.5 centiliters, which equals 44 milliliters, which equals 3 tablespoons.

Although these recommendations can help to minimize flushing, still the best thought is "not to drink any type of alcohol". Even though alcohol sedates, it can prevent a good night sleep as the alcohol stimulates the brain when the brain has its normal pH of 7.4 altered to an acidic range of 7.2; in addition, when the brain pH is lowered to 6.9, the social life ends forever as intoxication is excessive, rosacea terminates, and the sleeper does not awaken "ever". This would be a very "sad social rosacea diet plan" or a lack of good planning and control.

Kristin, the 3-year old daughter of a rosacea sufferer flushes from enjoying the snow for only an hour. She also flushes with laughter, anger, and playing hard during the summer. Obviously, she does not use alcohol, tobacco, coffee or harsh soaps, etc. However, she does have the genetic propensity for rosacea and may develop rosacea if her skin is abused by all of these elements during the next several decades.

These flushing flare ups result from coming in from the cold into a warm room. While the rosacea sufferer is outside in the cold weather the cardiovascular system is pumping hard, however, the extremities such as the feet, hands, ears, and nose get less blood supply than the rest of the body. It's partially due to direct contact, but it is more a result of conservation of heat by our internal thermostat which causes constriction of vessels by decreasing sympathetic activity to vessels (similar to taking a 'cool' shower.) When the rosacea sufferer enters the warm office or home, the higher temperatures quickly warm the facial skin areas and extremities while the cardiovascular system is still in a moderately high exercise mode. The rosacea sufferer should try to minimize the extreme cold exposure by warming up the car prior to use or wearing a facial mask/hat/scarf depending on length of exposure and severity of cold temperatures. After being exposed to the cold for a long period, try to enter the building slowly so the cardiovascular system will not be as stimulated, and then proceed slowly into the warmer office/home to minimize flushing.

Food allergy flushing is not rosacea, although many people with rosacea also have food allergies. A food allergy can cause redness, flushing, itching and fluid-filled pustules to appear on the skin. Food allergies can also cause itching, tearing and a discharge from the eyes. Please consider 'food allergy testing' from your Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT) doctor to confirm which foods you are allergic to as you may not be familiar with them. Some of the worst items are cantaloupes and various melons as well as beef, pork, and chicken while fish very rarely causes a flushing problem. Asthma and eczema may be triggered or worsened by food allergies. For more information on food allergy flushing see our Food Allergy Rosacea Alkaline Foods page.

Spring in most countries is the time for pollen and mold spores as trees, plants, and grass are providing pollen for self-production with the result that it affects many rosacea sufferers. Also, some areas have enough warm weather and proper vegetation for pollen and mold spores year around. You may even see mold spores growing in your bathtub or shower. Of course you need to keep all spores cleaned out of the home. Clorox liquid is very good and may be diluted by using half Clorox and half water if the full strength smell is offensive to you. Another good cleanser is "Clorox Clean-Up" which disinfects and destroys many allergens and has a much nicer fragrance.

The simplest and least expensive way to decrease pollen and contact flushing is simply bathing and shampooing your hair every night to get the small 'sycamore' type clinging pollen balls off the body and out of the hair. If allowed to remain on the body and hair during your sleep time, the pollen gets in your pillow which means that you are inhaling pollen during the night. Allergy 'mold spores' begin to grow in the home at humidity levels higher than 60% to 65% depending on the amount of dust, dirt, plants, etc. available for the food source of mold spores that many of us are allergic to. Also, the purchase of a dehumidifier for summer use to reduce the amount of humidity will reduce the mold spores while at the same time making the air more comfortable as the air has less humidity and therefore, drier.

Brush dogs regularly and bathe them frequently, depending on their outings or at least once per week. Brush and wipe cats down with a 'damp wash cloth' as they will tolerate the 'damp wash' and you can enjoy your cat much more.

Frequent vacuuming of the home which ideally should be 2 to 3 times per week with a good quality vacuum cleaner will help to eliminate dust, pollen, mold spores, etc. Also, change the air filter in your home every week using the very best quality filter if you have severe problems with allergies. This will also give you the benefit of not having to dust as often. You will feel better, reduce your allergy problem, and reduce facial redness.

In an asthma attack, the breathing pathways constrict, making it difficult to exhale carbon dioxide. When you can't exhale an adequate amount of carbon dioxide, you can't inhale oxygen. The lack of oxygen causes the face to turn red. Again not a true rosacea flush, but it's not uncommon for rosacea suffers to also have asthma. Asthma flushing can result from a food allergy, air borne pollutants, or toxins. Using an allergen air filter and changing it every one to two weeks can help reduce indoor pollens, toxins, fungi, and /or molds in the home. Air purifiers can also be helpful. Controlling your environment as much as possible can help to relieve some of the symptoms of asthma.

With the warmer weather comes a desire to spend more time outdoors enjoying the sun, relaxing on the beach or on the porch can be a wonderful way to relieve stress. Reducing stress is an important factor in controlling rosacea. The outdoors can be a wonderful way to achieve stress reduction as long as we take care not to create a situation that worsens our rosacea.

When out in the sun, always use a sunscreen if you are out longer than 30 minutes. Sunscreens are designed to protect against sunburn (UVB rays) and generally provide little protection against UVA rays. Sunscreens work by reacting chemically with the skin cells to protect them from the UVB rays of the sun. Unfortunately for those who suffer with rosacea, the ingredients in protective sunscreens can actually cause a sunburn-like photosensitive reaction. This reaction includes a rash or itchy red break outs that can persist for days giving an appearance similar to rosacea. Studies by the Australian Journal of Dermatology indicate that 81% of the reactions caused by photosensitive persons were caused by two primary ingredients- oxybenzone and butyl methoxydibenzoyl methane. These ingredients prevent sunburn by absorbing the ultraviolet (UVB) rays. Most chemical sunscreens contain from 2 to 5% of benzophenone or its derivatives (oxybenzone, benzophenone-3) as their active ingredient. Benzophenone is one of the most powerful free radicals generally known to science. It is used in industrial processes to initiate chemical reactions and promote cross-linking. Benzophenone is activated by ultraviolet light. The absorbed energy breaks benzophenone's double bond to produce two free radical sites. This explains why most chemical sunscreens cause various degrees of redness and sensitivity to rosacea sufferers. We have found one sunscreen to be well tolerated by rosacea sufferers: CityBlock by Clinique (SPF 50) provides the most blockage and the least irritation and sensitivity. Cityblock can be found in most major department stores or online on the Clinque web site.

Proper rosacea skin care involves an understanding of the factors that affect rosacea. The sun and ultraviolet radiation are among those factors. Certain medications can make those who take them more sensitive to the sun, causing rash or unexpected severe sunburn. If you're taking such a medication, sunglasses are critical to prevent damage to your eyes, and to ward off ocular rosacea, a condition that is quite difficult to manage. A myriad of compounds can make skin and eyes more vulnerable to the sun's rays, worsening rosacea redness. Many antibiotics prescribed for rosacea, birth control pills, blood pressure medicines, diabetes drugs, and pain relievers can increase the likelihood that UV radiation will do damage.

In spite of taking precautions, what should you do if your skin does react to your sunscreen or if your face gets too much sun? Gently wash the sunscreen off with one of the soaps recommended on the lifestyles page, and apply one to two drops of Jojoba Oil as recommended on the Lifestyles page. Jojoba oil when applied while the face is still wet, will not leave a greasy residue but will penetrate and help heal the skin. It seals the water in and serves as a thin layer of soothing moisturizer. Not all oils are beneficial for rosacea sufferers. Jojoba oil is most commonly used for the maintenance of healthy skin. Jojoba oil helps promote healing of the skin in many ways. It has antimicrobial properties, which means it actually discourages the growth of some bacterial and fungal microbes that attack the skin. In addition, the chemical composition of jojoba closely resembles that of the skin’s natural sebum, so it is easily absorbed and rarely causes allergic reactions, even in the most sensitive individuals.

Jojoba oil is actually composed of liquid wax esters rather than oil and is closer to the human oil than any other moisturizer. The body’s natural sebum also contains wax esters, which act as a sort of natural moisturizer and environmental barrier for the skin. However, wax ester production steadily decreases with age, causing the skin to appear dull and emphasizing wrinkles; reduced ester content in the skin can also lead to the development of conditions such as eczema, psoriasis, dandruff, and rosacea. Jojoba oil can prevent the skin from becoming too oily. Because the structure of jojoba oil so closely resembles natural sebum, it can actually trick the skin into producing less natural sebum, which, unlike jojoba, can clog pores. Jojoba Oil can be found at most GNC, Whole Foods or Trader Joes. You can learn more about jojoba oil and purchase online visit JojobaCare.

Rosacea has been erroneously stated to be a progressive skin disorder that continues to worsen unless treated. The blood vessels continue to grow with age and are stimulated and damaged by stress, food/drinks, dehydration, weather, sun exposure, abrasive soaps/exfoliating medications, hot bath, exercise, etc. The more blood vessels one has near the surface of the skin, the more one is likely to flush and stay flushed. However, it does not have to be as you hopefully learned on this page of minimizing the risk or exposure and also with the information on our Cause (Etiology) and Cure page which leads you directly into our Natural Rosacea Treatments by Lifestyles and Rosacea Diet page with some common sense information that your Dermatologist never told you.

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This page was last updated on May 15, 2012 .

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