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March 25th, 2009
03:48 PM ET

Why the red face? Alcohol flush could mean increased cancer risk

By Madison Park
Writer/Producer CNNhealth.com

Immediately after taking a few sips of an alcoholic drink, I have an almost cartoonish reaction. I burn up and turn scarlet – my whole face, forearms and neck.

My response to alcohol is so strong that a martini is enough to make me vomit, and half a bottle of beer makes me ill. Don’t even get me started about wine.

The facial flush, also known as “the Asian glow,” is a fairly common reaction to alcohol amongst East Asians. They turn red, feel nauseated, get swollen and their heartbeats race. I liken the experience to turning into a bright red disco ball. Some people get so embarrassed about this reaction to alcohol, they pop in Pepcid AC, which many people say helps mask the red face.

Researchers from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) and Japan's Kurihama Alcohol Center found that individuals who get the redness after drinking alcohol are at greater risk for developing esophageal cancer.

About eight percent of the world’s population has this genetic condition (Thanks, Mom and Dad), where the body lacks an enzyme that properly breaks down alcohol.

This missing enzyme called aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 metabolizes alcohol into acetate, which is non-toxic - so the remaining 92 percent of the world can drink with normal facial color.

But when I drink, the alcohol turns into acetaldehyde, which is a chemical that causes DNA damage and has cancer-promoting effects. That causes the facial flush, according to scientists from NIAAA.

Researchers whose work was published this week in PLoS Medicine say that people who have the facial flush and continue to drink are six to 10 times more likely to develop esophageal cancer, compared with someone without the genetic condition who is drinking the same amount.

And esophageal cancer carries a five-year survival rate of 12 to 31 percent.

For Lent, I gave up alcohol and I don’t miss the headaches, redness, or vomiting. So this might become permanent, because I think my body is trying to tell me something.

Do you have strange reactions to alcohol? How do you deal with it? And has this deterred you from drinking?

Editor's Note: Medical news is a popular but sensitive subject rooted in science. We receive many comments on this blog each day; not all are posted. Our hope is that much will be learned from the sharing of useful information and personal experiences based on the medical and health topics of the blog. We encourage you to focus your comments on those medical and health topics and we appreciate your input. Thank you for your participation.


soundoff (70 Responses)
  1. Prasad

    Alcohol is bad and injurious to our health. In fact many old civilization condemn consumption of alcohol.
    On one hand we say it causes cancer on other hand we say liitle red wine is good for heart.
    But overall it is heavy for our liver to digest it, eventually kiing our liver.

    Doctors wont say boldly that just dont give up, I guess they must be getting money from these wine lobbist.

    It was only decade ago, we accepted universally smoking is bad for us, thanks to some of the corageous people (See 'Insider' movie).
    Hope soon it will be accepted universally that alcohol is equally (in fact more) dangerous.

    So many families are broken, kids and wife are beateb due to alcohol abuse.
    Its time to clean our society, don't say "drink wisely" but just 'Give up drinking'
    I hope this message goes on someone ears.

    March 25, 2009 at 16:52 | Report abuse | Reply
  2. Melissa, Los Angeles

    As an Asian I do get the facial flush with just one drink which is why I don't bother drinking. I don't like being hot and the red face is embarrassing.

    March 25, 2009 at 19:28 | Report abuse | Reply
  3. Max

    Well this is unsettling news, but not particularly surprising. As a male of northern european descent I also have this reaction with alcohol. The only solution I've discovered that works surefire is a second generation H2 histamine blocker, Tagamet. Pepcid AC, conversely while in the same family of medication is relatively ineffective in combating the redness. I've said it numerous times and I'll say it again here, a company really should pay attention to this phenomenon that occurs and market an OTC supplement for it. It would also be of interest to see what in fact happens with the alcohol as it breaks down with Tagamet in one's system.

    March 25, 2009 at 21:10 | Report abuse | Reply
    • Laura

      Hi Max
      Thank you for your advice re histamines. I have a problem with redness after drinking, especially wine. My problem is that my face cancer flares when I drink wine and leaves when I stop. Christmas period is approaching, so I will go and try antihistamines!

      November 11, 2010 at 23:58 | Report abuse |
  4. cj

    Interesting article. I once knew chronic alcoholic (caucasion) who was constantly red in the face.

    I can only drink beer and wine, even small amounts of hard liquor make me nausious. When I drink beer or wine I start sweating...a lot, after about half a glass.

    As for previous comment, lots of people manage to drink responsibly and in moderation and don't become abusive. Alcohol has played a role in many societies since ancient times. Those people with drinking problems need help to give it up. If they're abusive when they drink, there are probably larger issues at work not related to alcohol.

    Some people shouldn't drink, but that doesn't mean we should take it away from everyone. If some people drive recklessly, do we ban cars?

    Last time they banned alcohol, we got organized crime.

    March 26, 2009 at 02:14 | Report abuse | Reply
  5. Cyn

    I am not much of a drinker, maybe I'll drink one beer every six months...a few vodka screwdrivers every two months...But, I have an odd reaction. I can not drink anything fruit derived.....wine, champagne, wine coolers.....and I can not drink anything colored....ie whiskey, tequila, rum etc. It makes me instantly nausaus and I vomit...for hours later I suffer...In the past 20 years, I have only been able to drink vodka, very little gin, white rum and everclear(not everclear anymore however). I am so glad I rarely drink because this would be annoying. I found a related condition once on a martini recipe site, but I can't recall the name. I'm just glad its not all in my head.

    March 26, 2009 at 09:24 | Report abuse | Reply
  6. Christa

    My face turns red when I drink and I've always wondered why! I feel warm, especially my face. Sometimes it bothers my stomach, but I don't vomit or have headaches.

    Thanks for the information, it really helps to have an understanding.

    March 26, 2009 at 11:00 | Report abuse | Reply
  7. ROBYN

    FINALLY!!! I had no idea why this was happening to me, my mothers side is Japanese and hear it had to do with that , but never knew the truth. I actually stopped drinking all together years ago(I am 31) but not from the red face. All my friends would tell me about my face and joke about it, but I was always sick and had a hangover even if i drank a little bit the night before.

    March 26, 2009 at 13:25 | Report abuse | Reply
  8. Andy

    Look, many of the elders in family have been drinking red wine since their late teens, almost always for dinner. My mother's father and two of his siblings are still alive and well – 70+. I guess a large part of it has to do with genetics.

    March 26, 2009 at 13:54 | Report abuse | Reply
  9. TexasGal

    I'm caucasian with some Native American blood and I get red and splotchy from drinking, but no swelling (or vomiting unless I've had a large amount to drink). I've always thought that I my body had trouble metabolizing alcohol; I say this because I often experience "delayed drunkeness" where I'm coherent one moment and then totally intoxicated the next (like flipping a switch). Either way, I've learned that staying away from alcohol is the best remedy!

    March 26, 2009 at 15:08 | Report abuse | Reply
  10. Re

    alcohol gives me acid reflux... it takes forever to alleviate it and if I drink again it starts all over.. i'm not sure why this is, but i find it interesting that the lack of aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 is correlated with an increased risk for esophageal cancer (as is acid reflux)... I wonder if this is all connected?

    in addition to acid reflux it also affects my stomach, i always feel nauseated the next morning, even if i dont drink much... never get a headache though.

    March 26, 2009 at 16:51 | Report abuse | Reply
  11. Kelly

    I am of Irish and American Indian decent. I feel warm and, especially when drinking wine, will have flushed cheeks and neck. I thought I was just allergic.

    March 27, 2009 at 09:31 | Report abuse | Reply
  12. Peg

    there is a rumored fact that alcohol thins the blood & that is why flushing of the face occurs. if wine thins the blood, then people would not to take baby aspirin or other meds.

    March 28, 2009 at 11:17 | Report abuse | Reply
  13. Kendra

    I have this...occasionaly. Does it work that way? Sometimes it causes redness...sometimes it does not? Can you metabolize correctly sometimes (produce or have the necessary enzyme) and other times not? What could cause the experience to be occasional?

    I am caucasion and my identical twin sister and I turn red (sometimes) when we drink (type does not matter, wine, champagne, liquor, beer). Faces, neck, chest and sometimes arms. No upset stomach but hotness in cheeks. There is no information available that I can find regarding other causes and/or why it may only happen sometimes.

    March 29, 2009 at 14:37 | Report abuse | Reply
    • Courtney

      I too only have this reaction sometimes. It seems to happen more when I am already a little anxious or nervous. For example, at Christmas with large amounts of family members around or when I was searching for an apartment. I have tried to figure out if it was certain alcohols, but it does not matter what I drink. Would love to hear if you find out more information.

      October 13, 2011 at 20:51 | Report abuse |
  14. Dawn

    I am so glad Im not the only one..I thought just maybe that it raises my blood pressure..Its only when I drink , after the first to second drink,.Though I make my drinks a bit strong.. I want to know more about this, how can I find it?

    April 1, 2009 at 16:18 | Report abuse | Reply
  15. Christianne Wa

    Thank you for sharing your personal experience with Asian glow. You write about how “you burn up and turn scarlet.” What’s funny is that I know some people who actually take Pepcid AC to prevent the glow. I would like to know how Pepcid AC actually works. How does it treat the glow, or should I say hide? Given this new discovery, it looks as if “masking the red face” may not be a good idea if the acetaldehyde is still able to cause DNA damage and promote cancer. Is there a way to add the aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 enzyme so that ALDH2-deficient patients can finally metabolize alcohol into acetate? Moreover, if acetaldehyde has cancer-promoting effects, are there current drugs or treatments that can eliminate it? I agree with Max when he said a company should really market an OTC supplement for it. I think there would be a high demand for such a product.

    You mention a lifestyle change in your entry, in that giving up alcohol for Lent may become permanent. Would you suggest that other ALDH2-deficient people follow suit? This increased risk for esophageal cancer is a serious consequence of drinking. Thus, how should we educate the public about the possible carcinogenic effects of alcohol? Should doctors start asking about the glow during routine check-ups?

    April 6, 2009 at 15:53 | Report abuse | Reply
    • Patricia Price

      Hi Christianne,
      I have the same problem especially when I drink wine. I am not Asian however. I have read about using Pepcid AC and have tried taking these about 2 hours or so before I have a drink. I have to say, disappointingly, they do not work. Has anyone else got any ideas on what will help to stop alcohol flush!

      April 21, 2011 at 14:25 | Report abuse |
  16. Jodie

    When I had an allergic reaction to a medication, the hospital gave me Pepcid or Tagamet because it has an antihistamine property to it. I too have been having the red face – with only a few swallows of White Zinfindel the other night, so this is not because of too much alcohol. I am not of Asian descent, but am about 1/16 mix of Native Amercan descent. I do not recall if beer does the same thing. I have alcohol very infrequently and I find this reaction strange and wonder why it just developed at age 34 or 35. I am allergic to Bactrim and Imitrex, which both have sulfonomides in them, so I wonder if alcohol has something in them I cannot metabolize like the sulfonomides. This makes me wonder if that missing enzyme is connected to both reactions and what the connection is to the increased cancer risk.

    April 13, 2009 at 08:08 | Report abuse | Reply
  17. johnny

    thanks every1 gr8 knowing am nt alone,am irish,white n cudn understand t it hapnd.hate it and feel anti social when i leave the pub because of it.i am going to try sum of your ideas n c wat hapens.mayb not all bad tho it stops me drinking alot but a little be nice.slan

    April 25, 2009 at 17:38 | Report abuse | Reply
  18. Richard

    Note to Kendra:
    I'm in your category of red flushing. Sometimes when I drink, I get the flush, and sometimes not. It also doesn't have anything to do with the type of alcohol I consume. My flushing has only recently started and I thought this might be due to age (I'm 60, Caucasian, Irish-descent). It would seem , though, if you're missing aldehyde dehydrogenase 2, then you would flush all the time. I wonder if your body can have the enzyme but for some reason, it can be turned-off from time-to-time?

    June 15, 2009 at 16:12 | Report abuse | Reply
  19. Janice

    I turn red (whole face, body, arms, legs, every where), swell, increase heart rate, my lips get numb, nausious, heart burn... Kind of severe.

    I have recently drank this NON-alcohol wine and i got the same symptom, i was really surpriced. I immediately checked out the ingredients in it, there are 3 things that have a higher chance of causing my severe reaction, however, i searched online and i found it might be this one: metabisulfite. usually found in alcohol.

    I'm not sure if the findings above have tested ONLY the alcohol element or only certain types of beer, wine or what. I would also want to know if anyone know, does all beer, wine and stuff have this element in it?

    June 18, 2009 at 09:13 | Report abuse | Reply
  20. tcb

    I noticed that several people who commented are of Irish descent. Me too! Wonder if there is something in the Irish heritage like what is suggested for the Asian heritage? Anyone know of any studies?

    June 30, 2009 at 02:59 | Report abuse | Reply
  21. Angie

    I also have this condition. I am not of Asian descent but I am a small percentage Native American. I first found out I had this condition when I had my first communion; all it took was one sip of wine. In college I tried every type of alcohol I could think of with my friends and all it ever took was a couple sips to make my face turn beet red and feel like it's on fire. My face literally radiates heat. Once I drank almost an entire beer (trying to see if the flushing would go away if I kept drinking) and I felt so sick and had a headache for hours. I was completely unaware of the links to cancer and find this very interesting. I will definitely have to do some more investigating.

    July 2, 2009 at 20:35 | Report abuse | Reply
  22. A Wms

    I am an African American female and when i consume any liquid that contains alcohol it causes my face to swell, it feels hot to the touch, Its kind of creepy. I can actually feel my face swelling. It was enough to stop me from drinking ( That was 5 years ago). Recently I tried a couple (2) of sips of an apple martini and I my face became very warm and i had some swelling. i immediately drank about 16 ounces of water back to back to flush the alcohol out of my system. The flush and swelling stopped about 2 hour after trying the martini. No more drinks for me!!!!

    July 3, 2009 at 03:30 | Report abuse | Reply
  23. shawn fernandes

    sir ,my face swells so much that even if i drink ,people ask me if i had lot last night or what like whic makes me so emrassed .my eyes also look red .sir give my some good solution .............thank u for ur help

    July 6, 2009 at 08:38 | Report abuse | Reply
  24. Anon

    I never went red after/while drinking alcohol until may 2006 (I was 18 then). I had a pint of some foreign beer and the guys I was with started asking me 'are you okay? You look really red'. Great.
    And now I don't always go red, mostly when I drink vodka (avoid vodka, great idea. I LIKE it okay?)
    If it's truely genetic then surely I should have been suffering from all this as long as I've been drinking, anfd every time I drink, right?

    July 14, 2009 at 16:56 | Report abuse | Reply
  25. Anthony Salatino

    Hello. I was reading about the girl who gets red face. I don't get the red face but I have some strange symptoms as well when I consume alcohol but not everytime. The first time it happened to me i was drinking Capn Morgan's and coke. I hadn't finished the drink when I started getting flushed, warm, from my neck up and my arms start to tingling and numbness. Gaseous symptoms begin in my upper abdomen like I have bad gas. It happened again with a margarita and again with a beer. What could this be? I went to my doctor and they just told me to not drink. But I want to find out what is wrong. Like I said it doesn't happen all the time so I can't pinpoint a common thread besides liquor.
    Deeply concerned,
    Anthony Salatino Cleveland, Ohio

    August 14, 2009 at 11:37 | Report abuse | Reply
  26. heltmanna

    I've never been interested in alcohol, but when I did drink, I noticed a really irritating redness on my cheeks and forehead. Everybody in the room had to comment on it. This made very self-conscious, and I promised myself never ever to drink in public – it's so embarrassing!

    I didn't, however, feel nausea or headaches. Alcohol has a nice sensation, but if it comes with a beetroot-colored face, then no thank you!

    I'm only half Asian, half Caucasian. Really, thanks Mom.

    September 14, 2009 at 06:37 | Report abuse | Reply
  27. Claire

    Hello. I find it interesting that the common theme is Asian, Native and Irish.

    I'm Irish with a great grandmother who is native. I've never experienced any of this until now.

    Tonight I took one sip of a dark ale and my cheeks flushed instantly. Usually I do look a little flushed but only to the point of a natural blush.

    Tonight my face scorching hot and puffy. I drank about half and felt very odd. I decided to stop drinking. My dad then noticed my face and we couldn't believe the reaction I had/currently suffering from.

    I'm glad I found this stream of thought to calm suspicions of allergy since this is something I've never thought about. I'm worried about drinking again. Maybe it's a sign lol. I'm going to research more into this now.

    October 19, 2009 at 21:41 | Report abuse | Reply
  28. Tammy Ferrell

    I too often have this reaction when I drink, although not quite so severely. It does not happen every time though. Most often it is when I drink beer. I drank quite a lot when I was younger and NEVER had this reaction. When I was in my late twenties/early thirties it started. I only drank in moderation at that time. It would only happen a few times a year. Now I have a dring maybe once a month and it happens almost every time. If it is a missing enzyme that causes this, why did it happen so suddenly and not until that age?

    October 20, 2009 at 23:04 | Report abuse | Reply
  29. Leigh

    All these post are making me feel better. I am in my early 40's and have always drank. I have never gotten red in the face until just this week! I thought I would lay off drinking for a couple of weeks and then when I just had 1 glass of wine. My face turned so red I thought I must be getting sick! I didn't feel bad but my face felt like it was burning up and it was very flushed. Glad to hear that I am not the only one!

    October 28, 2009 at 22:40 | Report abuse | Reply
  30. Wynn Capps

    I too had a TGA attack. The Dr's suspected a stroke however in my case they did not find an answer (this was a very well known trauma 1 hospital in Fort Worth, TX) and sent me home telling me I could expect to have a major stroke in 24 to 48 hours. Needless to say I didn't sleep for 48 hours nor did my wife. A close friend, a Dr. at a teaching hospital went to their neuro science department and discussed my situation with the Dept. Head. He was told it was TGA which he relayed to me. I informed the Dr. at the hospital I was taken to and he called back within a 1/2 hr and confirmed that it was TGA. I have not had a reoccurence but it was a monday morning and we had had sex prior to leaving for work. No more sex on Monday mornings :)

    November 6, 2009 at 22:06 | Report abuse | Reply
  31. Bridget

    My boyfriend does experience this but it is not every time he drinks? Also he is not of Asian decent? I wonder if it is the same thing or perhaps some other reason either way when it does happen it is certainly very scary although he says he feels no symptoms he just looks like something is very wrong.

    December 21, 2009 at 15:11 | Report abuse | Reply
  32. Curtis

    I'm half Japanese and I get red every time I drink. Whether it be a beer or a night of heavy drinking, it makes no difference. People are usually pretty quick to point out my "Asian Glow," but it doesn't bother me in the least bit.

    As far as my reaction to alcohol goes, it varies depending on how I physically feel and what I've been drinking. I try to stay away from wine because it gives me severe headaches and sometimes it will give me a mild panic attack.

    I like having a beer from time to time, but I hate getting drunk off of it. It makes me feel bloated and gives me pretty bad headaches. Generally, fruity alcohols make me feel sick. And lastly, Hard alcohol usually goes down pretty well for me. Vodka and Jager are the two that my body seems to handle the best.

    December 24, 2009 at 05:40 | Report abuse | Reply
    • Robin

      google.com

      November 25, 2012 at 12:48 | Report abuse |
  33. Jeremy

    I also suffer from this disorder. I have found that there are a few things that reduce the amount of redness that occurs when I drink. Firstly, the faster you drink the quicker you will go red. If i drink 1 beer in 5 minutes I will go bright red in the face – but i can drink numerous beers without going too red by simply pacing myself (a lot slower than most), but its a lot better than not drinking at all. In addition to this, I have also found that I go less red if I recommence drinking after having already turned red and then let the redness subside – I have no scientific explanation for this, but it is true. I have found a lot of resources on the internet that provide other solutions to this disorder. I personally use the method outlined at http://www.noredfaceformula.com. This does the job very well. I have also found that drinking certain types of alcohol varies the degree to which I turn red, and the best way I have found is to experiment with yourself to find what your body prefers.

    December 26, 2009 at 19:55 | Report abuse | Reply
    • Jen

      Just reading through these and noticed your post because it discribes me to a T. Every once and a while I would have a reaction when I drank; just a bright red face, not nausea or headache thank goodness. I wonder if, instead of lacking the ability to make the approprate enzym, it's that some people just need to kick-start what ever it is in their body that's suppose to be producing the aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 enzym. Defective, you know, not nonexistant.

      September 28, 2011 at 19:25 | Report abuse |
  34. Frankie Bollo

    I used to love drinking. For the first six years I drank I never suffered from Asian Flush. But then it started. The redness was so bad that people would notice and say things like "why is your face so red?” and "even your ears have gone red.” I used to go to the bathroom after every couple of drinks to wash my face down with cold water but it didn't really help. Not only was my face red but it felt extremely hot too. It made it hard to have a drink with people because the redness of my face and my obvious discomfort with it would make them think that something was wrong and in turn make them feel uncomfortable too. Eventually I just accepted that I couldn't drink. At the time I thought this was happening for psychological reasons, so it was interesting to come across this article. It has been years since I've allowed myself to drink, which is a drag because I often feel like a bore and left out when I go out and the people around me are drinking and I'm not. If I could find a way to drink without turning into Mr Tomato Head, I’d start drinking again tomorrow.

    January 5, 2010 at 06:14 | Report abuse | Reply
  35. Annie Walters

    Please note that I have had this disorder only recently after I turned 45. My relatives came from Scotland but I do have native american, Cherokee in my mother's side. I have read that all native americans have this. I also have two daughters who have had serious reactions to toxins in their childhood vaccines and in the flu shot. I am afraid that the same inability to break down the toxin in alcohol (ethanol) may also extend to toxins in the vaccines. One of mys daughter had Mercury/Thimersol and the other had formaldahyde and phenoxyethanol in her polio vaccine (a substitute for the preservative Mercury/Thimerisol.) Both had life threatening auto-immune and neurological damage after the vaccines. I don't believe the medical community knows how to diagnose these problems. If you have this problem with alcohol make sure you don't get vaccines with toxic preservatives in them.

    February 2, 2010 at 20:45 | Report abuse | Reply
  36. Sandra

    Within the last 1 1/2 yr I have started getting extremely red in my upper body; face, ears, neck, chest, & arms. I mean really red and hot. Very uncomfortable. This happens mostly during the evening & will last 2-5 minutes, then goes away by itself. These are not a typical hot flash, I am pretty much over those. I had a hystorectomy over 20 years ago and went on a mild dose of estrogen. Two years ago I went off. Had some issues for awhile but they seem to have cleared up. I am a heavy snacker, sugar products mainly. I have several small glasses of wine per week (have never experienced anything like this before). I am not eating or drinking any thing new that I have not done for years and years. I take vitamins and supplements, which I have also done for years. Any thoughts?

    February 8, 2010 at 13:54 | Report abuse | Reply
  37. Rebecca

    I have the facial flushing – it began with consumption of alcohol – but now, I can get it for no apparent reason at all. It's just my cheeks and nose and they feel hot to the touch. The rest of my body feels cold and my hands might be quite cold. I also get a headache at the base of my skull.

    Sometimes it begins with a feeling of being overheated overall and then the facial flushing will begin while the rest of the body gets cold.

    I quit drinking alcohol a long time ago. I am Caucasian of Irish, English and Native American descent.

    Why does this happen even when I haven't been consuming alcohol?

    February 19, 2010 at 17:37 | Report abuse | Reply
  38. Tom

    Wine has alot of sulfates in it and that can causes flushing right away. Aot of bodybuider take vanady sulfate before they workout because it get the blood flowing to the muscle . TURNS YOU RED . I was training my girlfriend and gave her sulfate and her face turned red and flushed.

    February 27, 2010 at 10:07 | Report abuse | Reply
  39. Gina

    I got to this site looking up red ears and alcoholism. My boyfriend drinks so many beers a day and his ears are always just beet red. He is caucasian but nice tan tone all year. It bothersme how much he drinks, although his personality honestly doesn't change with alcohol and his work-ethic is fine...it is just the habit to drink 4 – 7 beers every single evening. He's not heavy at all either, but I know he won't escape the effects of all those Coors Lights forever. Just wondering if anyone else knows an alcoholic with the red-ear symptom. They are red in the morning, middle of the day, evening....

    March 16, 2010 at 00:05 | Report abuse | Reply
  40. mark

    I have found that I am more likely to go red in the face when I am over tired or stressed and drink alcohol and more so if it is cheap alcohol.
    There is definately a less effect of asian glow if i drink the more expensive liquor. But I don't know why, perhaps there is an additive in the cheaper brands that causes this.

    April 2, 2010 at 23:16 | Report abuse | Reply
  41. Denise

    I am so relieved to hear that others have this same problem. I have also noticed that when I drink wine that it 'bites at my tongue' so I have never enjoyed wine. I'm wondering if others have this sensation?

    April 16, 2010 at 11:50 | Report abuse | Reply
  42. Kim

    I am now 38 yrs old and drinking makes my face bright red and I get this horrible rash on my neck and chest. This only happens though when I drink wine or hard alcohol. Does not happen with beer. They say this is a missing enzyme, but why did it start happening as I got older. I have always drank and never had this effect. It bothers me that is says with this missing enzyme you have a higher risk of cancer. I guess my question is, does this enzyme just go away? Why did I develop it later in life? and should I be just as concerned? That scares me!

    April 20, 2010 at 14:20 | Report abuse | Reply
    • krg

      I've noticed this as I've gotten older too! I'm 46 and had been drinking since legal CA drinking age without any allergic reaction. Now I'm very cautious about drinking, and abstain completely at parties or other social functions.

      December 10, 2010 at 08:30 | Report abuse |
  43. Charlotte

    @Rebecca, above:

    Caucasians, especially Irish / British / Scottish Caucasians with a red face while drinking are more likely to have rosacea, rather than the lack of enzymes described here.

    Ever wonder why some white old men get disgusting, veiny, bulbous noses? That's a lifetime of dealing with rosacea! The capillaries are unusually weak, and can't deal with blood pressure changes brought on by alcohol, cold or hot weather, etc. It's genetic, and so common in some Irish / Scottish populations that the broken capillaries and later nose disfigurement are actually considered a normal part of aging.

    April 24, 2010 at 01:26 | Report abuse | Reply
  44. R Bryant

    Allergic to alcohol stay away from it, it weakens the immune system and can cause cancer.

    May 5, 2010 at 03:30 | Report abuse | Reply
  45. John Markham

    or you could live in a society where people are free to choose what they put into their own bodies... and while yes, some "ancient civilizations" may have condemned alcohol drinking (I dont know of any in particular but im sure there have been) many also enjoyed it thoroughly. In either case, the "ancient civilization" point doesn't really count, since many also sacrificed humans and drank their blood. Nothing is perfectly safe. Alcohol, tobacco, fat, and salt can kill you, but so can water and everything else you put in your system. Everyone dies, why not allow them to consciously analyze the risks involved and make a decision based on their own cost benefit analysis? Obviously this would require that they have information readily available, but im fairly confident that most people who drink know that drinking can be bad for you.

    May 11, 2010 at 22:05 | Report abuse | Reply
  46. KR

    Like Kim, mine started as I got older. I think I was in my 30's when the red started. I've never had a problem with my stomach, just my face turning scarlet. I had had pneumonia and it seemed to start after that, but that could be a coincidence. But, like Kim, I have wondered why it would suddenly start.

    November 15, 2010 at 05:49 | Report abuse | Reply
    • RV

      Mine just started and I have been a very regular drinker my whole life. A bottle of red wine a night. MNow I am getting the flushed face, Do you think there is a connection with anitiotocs because mine started after I used antibiotocs for awhile for a sinus infection.

      January 18, 2011 at 13:33 | Report abuse |
  47. Cherrie

    I am a caucasian female, I only drink mixed drinks-vodka,cranberry juice- once a month or so. I love beer!! But the mixed drinks make my face sooo hot, and my neck..and I am RED..REALLY..RED!! I of course stopped, but want to know why this happened!?

    February 20, 2011 at 19:34 | Report abuse | Reply
  48. Cindy

    I am 60 years old. I have drank socially for many years and had never had a flushed face while drinking. I had breast cancer and a few months after chemo treatments, I went to dinner with a friend and ordered a glass of wine. That was the first time I had ever had my face flush. It was ssooo red. I was hot and felf very uncomfortable. It has been 7 years sice that happened and I still have the same reaction, but not every time I drink. I would very much like to know what happened and why I have this reaction. I can't seem to get answers from my Doctor either. This site is the first time I have heard that this reaction can cause cancer. That is the last thing I would ever want again.

    May 28, 2011 at 21:17 | Report abuse | Reply
  49. Keri

    I do at times drink a little and wonder why my face turns red and my body turns warm all of a sudden. I thought this happens to most people when they drink. There were times I would wake up with a red face and wonder was it because my face is dehydrated or has a rash. I was scared and finally, today came to your website. It helped a lot knowing this happens to asians (I'm asian). But I was wondering, usaully how long does the red face takes to go away and how high is the risk of getting cancer? Please answer, it will help me out a lot and thank you for your information. Thank you lots!!

    August 5, 2011 at 10:16 | Report abuse | Reply
  50. Naltius

    To me it also helped knowing that there are others with this problem, thanks everybody, but does anybody have a solution, or has been cured from this?
    Do you have any experience with "No Red Face Formula"?

    August 11, 2011 at 13:29 | Report abuse | Reply
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Get a behind-the-scenes look at the latest stories from CNN Chief Medical Correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Senior Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen and the CNN Medical Unit producers. They'll share news and views on health and medical trends - info that will help you take better care of yourself and the people you love.