Face Rash or Flushing – Causes and Symptoms

Years ago, young girls would pinch their cheeks for a rosy glow. But what happens if you are the shy type that blushes easily and often? It's not as simple to hide unwanted redness. A blush from heat or emotion is just your body's way of responding to a stimulus. The tiny blood vessels in your face and neck expand, and the blood flow becomes more noticeable. It's nothing you can control, and noth­ing you should really worry about. However, sometimes illness or fever causes your facial redness.

This calls for more serious attention. It's time to see your doctor if you have face flushing and:

Rough patch of skin on cheek, nose or forehead
Extensive sun exposure

Painless, scaly patches like this may mean you have a pre-cancerous condition called actinic ker­atosis. The scalp, face, ears, lips, arms, and hands are especially susceptible to the sun's harmful UV rays since they get so much exposure. Actinic ker­atosis is a warning sign of skin cancer, so don't ignore it.

Fever
Swelling on neck

These are the symptoms of rubella. See a doctor immediately.

Fever
Dry cough
Sore, red eyes
Runny nose
Sore throat
Headache

You could have come down with any number of viral infections, from the measles to Rocky Mountain spotted fever. See your doctor to be sure.

Small blisters (sometimes)
Burning feeling on your skin
Dizziness
Nausea or vomiting
Have been in the sun recently

This is more serious than a simple sunburn. You may be extremely sensitive to the sun, a condition called photosensitivity. You and your doctor should try to discover if any medications or skin products are causing this.

Itching
Use a prescription drug

Call your doctor immediately. You may be having a reaction to medication.

Itching
Light-red bumps with raised edges that enlarge and spread quickly

You may be suffering from hives, an allergic reaction to food, heat, cold, insect bites, animals, medica­tion, or something else. Get to a doctor to deter­mine the cause of the reaction. The hives may disappear within hours, or may last much longer.

Itchiness or pain in the affected area
Flakiness or blistering

This kind of rash may be your body's reaction to an irritating substance. It is a kind of allergy called contact dermatitis. The most common caus­es are detergents, nickel in jewelry, cosmetics, plants (such as poison ivy), and cleansers.

Redness on the cheeks, nose, chin, or forehead that begins as occasional flare-ups, but gradually becomes more permanent
Swollen, red, bumpy nose
Burning, irritated eyes
Oily skin/pimples

These symptoms could mean you suffer from rosacea (rose-AY-see-uh), a skin disease that is often misdiagnosed as adult acne. It is important to distinguish between the two conditions because causes and treatments are different.