Facial hyperemia

Facial hyperemia is a reddening of the skin on the face that appears on the cheeks in frosty weather, in the heat or in a stuffy room.

Tonic hyperemia of the face and neck is observed in case of increased body temperature during a cold, in stressful situations, with strong emotional excitement and increased physical exertion. In principle, this is a normal phenomenon, since under the influence of the listed factors there is an increased blood flow (rush) into the blood vessels located on the face. The so-called transient hyperemia of the face is not considered a pathology in clinical medicine.

However, often hyperemia of the facial skin has the form of spots that appear on the cheeks, chin, nose and nasolabial folds, and at the same time there are seemingly no obvious reasons for the overflow of blood vessels.

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Causes of facial hyperemia

In fact, the causes of facial hyperemia can be represented by a very solid list of diseases and pathologies, for which redness of the skin on the face is one of the symptoms. Let's focus on the most common ones.

In people who abuse alcohol, the face and neck turn red due to vasodilation not only after drinking alcohol, but also constantly have a purple color due to enzymatic deficiency of the liver and its inability to transform acetaldehyde, which is obtained during the oxidation of ethanol.

Hyperemia of the face and neck appears at the onset of menopause in women. The so-called climacteric hot flashes with a sudden increase in blood flow to the face are caused by the restructuring of the sex hormone system and the reaction to it of almost all body systems, including the vegetative-vascular system.

Causes of facial hyperemia may be:

• systemic lupus erythematosus;
• hypertension (high blood pressure);
• thermal hyperthermia (overheating);
• pathologies of the endocrine system (diabetes mellitus, hypothyroidism);
• erythematous rosacea (chronic inflammatory disease of the facial skin);
• allergy;
• scarlet fever;
• problems with the liver or pancreas;
• erythrocytosis (extremely high hemoglobin levels in the blood);
• erythrophobia (blushing syndrome);
• acquired heart defect (mitral stenosis);
• carcinoid syndrome (in the presence of intestinal tumors);
• side effects of medications (including hormonal ones).

Erythrophobia or facial hyperemia caused by blushing syndrome manifests itself in unexpected reddening of the face, occurring regularly and without obvious cause (with the slightest excitement of a person). From the physiological point of view, here also occurs the expansion of capillaries and their filling with blood increases. But from the pathogenetic side, facial hyperemia in blushing syndrome is associated with functional disorders of the nervous system.

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Diagnosis of facial hyperemia

In principle, diagnostics of facial hyperemia should be performed by a dermatologist. But, given that redness of the skin on the face accompanies a number of diseases, patients with this pathology should undergo a comprehensive examination.

To do this, the doctor needs to collect an anamnesis and carefully examine the patient; prescribe blood and urine tests; measure the pulse and blood pressure. If the redness is associated with dermatological pathologies, the specialist can immediately determine the tactics of its treatment.

When hyperemia is a symptom of a metabolic disorder, cancer, or problems with the cardiovascular system, it is necessary to consult a doctor of the appropriate specialization for examination and diagnosis.

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Treatment of facial hyperemia

Let us immediately note that short-term transient hyperemia of the face does not require treatment, since after the action of the factors that caused it ceases, the redness disappears on its own.

It is another matter when facial hyperemia is part of a complex of symptoms of a certain pathology. But even then it cannot be treated separately, since symptomatic therapy does not solve the problem of getting rid of the underlying disease. Therefore, it is necessary to treat it.

Let's dwell on the treatment of facial skin hyperemia in blushing syndrome, which was discussed above. In this case, a psychiatrist, psychotherapist or a good psychologist who knows methods for overcoming increased anxiety (self-hypnosis, muscle relaxation, breathing exercises, meditation, etc.) can help. As for medications, in particular, sedatives and beta-blockers, only a doctor can prescribe them - after examining the patient and making the correct diagnosis. For example, tinctures of valerian, motherwort, as well as Corvalol, Valocordin, Valocormid (15-20 drops 2-3 times a day) can be recommended to reduce nervous tension.

Beta blockers used for cardiovascular diseases prevent the effect of adrenaline on cardioreceptors, which leads to a decrease in heart rate and blood pressure. Standard side effects of such drugs include dizziness, sleep disturbances, difficulty breathing, sexual problems, a feeling of fatigue, etc.

Surgical treatment of facial hyperemia in blushing syndrome is offered - endoscopic sympathectomy, which involves removing a section of the sympathetic nerve trunk. As a result, the passage of nerve impulses that cause vascular dilation and increased blood filling is stopped. The operation is minimally invasive, but is fraught with many possible side effects.

It is also possible to perform endoscopic compression of the nerve trunk in the armpit area using a special clip. The effectiveness of this method is up to 85%, and its most common side effect is a reflex increase in sweat secretion.

When facial redness is a purely cosmetic defect, cosmetologists may recommend laser coagulation of skin vessels. It should be borne in mind that this procedure is not designed to treat facial hyperemia, but to eliminate rosacea - vascular mesh and "stars" on the face that occur with chronic congenital or acquired dilation of small skin vessels (telangiectasia). After laser coagulation, vessels may appear on the skin of the face again, in addition, there is a high risk of disruption of the functioning of the sweat glands.

Prevention of facial hyperemia

Among the most common recommendations from specialists for the prevention of facial hyperemia, we note the following:

• do not overcool, do not overheat, do not abuse ultraviolet radiation;
• do not wash with too cold or too hot water;
• Do not use products to cleanse your face that dry out or irritate the skin, especially scrubs;
• do not rub your face with sponges or dry it with hard towels;
• do not overeat spicy and fatty foods, limit the consumption of coffee and alcoholic beverages;
• consume more vitamins, especially A, C, E, K and P.