Does your face flush after drinking alcohol?

Facial flushing is a sign of alcohol sensitivity and is common with women and people of East Asian decent. Watch Robin Miller, MD, explain what it means when your face flushes after drinking alcohol and how you may have a risk for hypertension.

Transcript

00:00

ROBIN MILLER: Facial flushing occurs in people genetically unable to break down an organic chemical compound in alcohol. [SOFT MUSIC]

00:16

Does your face flush after you sip a glass of wine or knock back a beer? Facial flushing is a common sign of alcohol sensitivity

00:23

or even an intolerance for alcohol.

00:34

It's most common in women and people of East Asian descent.

00:43

And now, a new study suggests if your face flushes when you drink alcohol, you may also have a higher risk of hypertension.

00:49

The study compared flushers and non-flushers.

00:59

Flushers who had more than four drinks per week were more likely than non-flushers to have high blood pressure. By comparison, non-flushers didn't

01:07

have a higher risk of hypertension until they drank more than eight drinks a week. So if you're prone to flushing when you drink,

01:14

you may want to limit your alcohol consumption to less than four drinks per week. And ask your doc to double check your blood pressure.

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I'm Dr. Miller. Watch all our smart tips for more ways to protect your health. [AUDIO LOGO]