Blushing is a normal physiological response that results in the face, neck and/or chest becoming red. Blushing may result from strong emotions such as embarassment, anger or excitement. It may also be associated with medical problems such as carcinoid syndrome, fever, menopause, and rosacea, medications such as those used to treat diabetes and high cholesterol, and other triggers such as alcohol, hot or spicy foods, and rapid changes in temperature.
Physiology of Blushing
When you blush, the blood vessels in your face widen allowing more blood to pass through to the skin. The tiny muscles in your blood vessels usually keep the vessels slightly squeezed, but during a blushing episode, nerves in your body send signals to relax these muscles. Because this action is an automatic response, it is nearly impossible to stop once the action has begun. In fact, the harder you try to stop blushing, the redder you will usually get.
Blushing and Social Anxiety Disorder
Blushing is a symptom of social anxiety disorder (SAD); however not all people who have SAD have problems with blushing. In addition, not all people who blush have SAD. For those with SAD who have problems with blushing, reddening of the face is usually a daily, if not hourly occurrence. When a person with SAD blushes, the physiological response is usually accompanied by a host of negative automatic thoughts, such as "Everyone is noticing how red I am" or "Everyone thinks that I'm weird." People with SAD blush when they are put on the spot, made the center of attention, or caught off guard in a social situation.
Treatment for Blushing
A number of treatments are available for problems with blushing. If your blushing is accompanied by other physical symptoms or appears in conjunction with a medical problem, a medical cause is likely and a medical doctor can recommend the best course of treatment. When blushing is a symptom of SAD, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) directed at the underlying anxiety that maintains blushing is a good treatment option. Through CBT you will learn how to think, act and feel differently which in turn will have a positive impact on your problems with blushing. A complementary treatment option is medication to treat SAD.
Above all else, remember that blushing can become a vicious cycle. If you choose not to make a big deal about your red face, you will probably blush much less than when you actively tried to prevent it from happening.
Source:
Social Anxiety Institute. Blushing: A symptom of social anxiety. Accessed April 27, 2009.
