Embarrassing Illnesses

Blushing is usually a natural response to emotions, such as anger, guilt and embarrassment.

Other common causes of blushing include:

• drinking alcohol,
• carcinoid syndrome, which is a collection of symptoms due to a tumour which produces large amounts of hormones,
• eating hot, or spicy, foods,
• drinking hot drinks,
• menopause,
• a high temperature or fever of 38C (100.4F) or above,
• sudden hot or cold temperatures,
• exercise, due to an increase in body temperature, and
• monosodium glutamate, which is a chemical that is sometimes added to food to improve flavour.

Certain medications that are often used to treat a range of different conditions can also cause blushing. They include:

• chlorpropramide (for diabetes),
• tamoxifen (for breast cancer),
• raloxifene (for osteoporosis),
• calcium-channel blockers (for angina or high blood pressure),
• calcitonin (for some bone disorders), and
• glyceryl trinitrate and isosorbide dinitrate (for angina).

Certain medications that are sometimes used to treat prostate tumours in men can also cause blushing. These are:

• buserelin,
• triptorelin,
• goserelin, and
• leuprorelin.

Phobia

Some people have a fear, or phobia, about blushing. The medical name for this is erythrophobia and it is linked to social phobia.

Social phobias may occur as a result of an anxious, upsetting or intense experience in a social situation. Or, it may be that your social confidence did not have the chance to fully develop past the normal stage of shyness as a young child.