Why face turns red when drinking

People who suffer from this alcohol flush reaction often feel very embarrassed and sometimes even avoid drinking alcohol. So, why does your face turn red when you drink alcohol? Your body produces enzymes known as aldehyde dehydrogenase that convert the toxins produced from metabolising alcohol these are known as acetaldehyde into harmless acids.

Normally, this process ensures your body can get rid of that nasty acetaldehyde. Unfortunately, there are some people who do not produce enough efficient enzymes and therefore the acetaldehyde toxins do not get processed quickly and remain in the body for longer. These toxins are poisonous and the body reacts by turning your skin red. It can also produce other symptoms such as:. Whether or not you are affected by alcohol flush reaction comes down to a few different factors.

Let's take a look Lucky people will have ALDH2 genes that efficiently metabolise the toxins, while the less fortunate have genes that produce inactive enzymes that slow down the metabolism process. Scientists estimate that there are at least million people with an ALDH2 deficiency, which is about 8 percent of the world population. But people of Japanese, Chinese, and Korean descent are more likely than others to experience alcohol flush reaction.

This is why it may sometimes be referred to as Asian flush. Scientists aren't sure why certain populations are more susceptible to this, but it's genetic and can be passed on by one or both parents. Any type of alcohol can cause alcohol flush reaction, but the more you drink, the more likely the reaction is to occur.

Some people might experience alcohol flush reaction when they first start to drink alcohol, and as they get older the reaction gets less severe. As well as skin redness and allergy-type reactions, alcohol flush can affect your weight if you regularly drink a lot, especially if you drink sugary alcoholic drinks.

When you combine alcohol with sugars and other added ingredients, the calorie count can quickly rise. So, if your ability to metabolise alcohol is low, your body will struggle to deal with alcohol. Slowing down your rate and frequency of alcohol and choosing low-sugar alcohol spirits with sugar-free mixers should help to reduce any side effects associated with drinking alcohol.

For people with the genetic alcohol flush variant, they'll be at greater risk of the negative health consequences of smoking. Getting intoxicated happens when alcohol hits the body, but how the body breaks down the alcohol determines whether or not you have alcohol intolerance.

No, alcohol intolerance is not the same as an alcohol allergy. Alcohol intolerance and an alcohol allergy may have similar symptoms.

Department of Health and Human Services, rarediseases. Alcohol Intolerance , www. Department of Health and Human Services, pubs. Brooks, Philip J, et al. Nunez, Angela. This site complies with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information : verify here. Updated on October 6, Medically Reviewed.

Written by. AnnaMarie Houlis. Evidence Based. Jump to topic. We're here to help you or your loved one. Professional guidance and support is available. Begin a life of recovery by reaching out to a specialist today. How do you stop an alcohol flush reaction? Is a red face a sign of alcoholism? Is alcohol intolerance the same as being intoxicated? Is alcohol intolerance the same as an alcohol allergy? What's Next? Medically Reviewed by. Annamarie Coy earned her B. AnnaMarie Houlis earned her B. All Alcoholrehabhelp content is medically reviewed or fact checked to ensure as much factual accuracy as possible.

Over the centuries, it has spread throughout East Asia. Since the condition is genetic, there is no cure. The upside? Those afflicted often avoid excessive drinking and alcoholism.

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