Author: James Anderson
Alcoholic Nose: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment
For people who develop rhinophyma, their face skin thickens, especially around the nose. While rhinophyma is often dubbed “alcoholic nose,” the reality is that it’s a type of rosacea — meaning that heavy drinking isn’t actually linked to it. We are dedicated to transforming the despair of addiction into a purposeful life of confidence, self-respect and happiness. We want to give recovering addicts the tools to return to the outside world completely substance-free and successful.
It is a combination of those with a family history of rosacea and those who struggle with skin conditions or certain skin disorders. Many doctors advise people with rosacea to avoid drinking and cooking with alcohol. But it is still linked to chronic skin inflammation because it can aggravate flare-ups. With centers all around Oregon, Serenity Lane makes your physical and mental health our No. 1 priority. At most, excessive drinking can increase someone’s risk of developing rosacea.
The longer tissue overgrowth remains on the skin, the more likely it is to become permanent. If you are suffering from rhinophyma, talk to your doctor or dermatologist to develop a plan for treatment. However, only a small percentage of people with rosacea will develop the condition. One study found that out of 108 patients with rosacea, only 15 were noted to also have rhinophyma, almost all of whom were men. While alcohol can stay in your system and cause damage, there is thought to be very little connection between alcohol use and this skin condition.
Why Do Alcoholics Have Weird Noses?
Not everyone with rosacea who develops thickened skin will go on to develop rhinophyma. But for people who do, having chronic infections is common, since fluids in the skin ultimately trap bacteria. Ark Behavioral Health offers 100% confidential substance abuse assessment and treatment placement tailored to your individual needs. However, irregularities in the circulatory and vascular system could contribute to the issue.
Similar research is needed on the link between alcohol consumption and rosacea in men. Because alcohol dilates blood vessels and damages the vascular system, it can aggravate rhinophyma and other types of rosacea. Drinking alcohol has been debunked by research as a direct link to this condition. But we do know that drinking can cause more flushing in people with rosacea.
Symptoms of Alcoholic Red Nose
As mentioned previously, the best way to prevent rosacea flare-ups caused by alcohol consumption is to stop drinking alcohol. At Springbrook Behavioral Hospital, you can find the support you need to stop drinking for good. In any case, using the medical term for alcoholic nose is a helpful way to stop spreading misinformation and decrease the stigma surrounding rosacea. At the end of the day, it is just a skin disorder and should not be used to make assumptions about someone’s drinking habits. The most common side effect of rosacea in people who drink is flushed skin.
Many doctors advise patients with rosacea to avoid drinking and cooking with alcohol, especially red wine for women, to avoid aggravating the skin condition. It typically manifests as a noticeably red, bumpy, or bulbous nose or swollen cheeks. Alcohol affects your face and skin in general by enlarging both pores and blood vessels. Blood vessels expand and sometimes break, making some heavy drinkers look red and flushed even when sober. Excessive consumption of alcohol may also lead to the development of spider veins on the face. Rosacea is a chronic skin condition that is characterized by facial flushing—especially in the nasal area or cheeks—and irregular redness.
- In addition, we offer detox services as part of our addiction recovery program.
- However, recent research has suggested that while alcohol worsens the symptoms of rhinophyma, it is not the primary cause.
- Contact our team at AddictionResource.net today for more information.
- A bulbous nose can be a side effect of the health condition rosacea.
Our hospital offers a variety of programs that can be tailored to patient needs, including an older adult program, dual diagnosis treatment and general psychiatric care. For some individuals with alcohol addiction, it can be more effective to enroll in a treatment program outside of their local community. This way, they are not bombarded with social pressures and stigma close to home. The association between alcohol abuse and rosacea can be traumatizing for some people with rosacea.
Alcoholic Nose (Rhinophyma): The Real Cause, and How to Treat It
Someone who has a bulbous, swollen red nose may suffer from incorrect judgments and assumptions about their character and substance use habits. While “alcoholic nose” is not a medical condition requiring treatment, rhinophyma can be treated. The main treatment option for rhinophyma is surgery; however, there are some medications that may provide a small degree of help. Rosacea affects the nose more in men and the cheeks more in women, which makes men much more likely to get rhinophyma than women. Rhinophyma has not been shown to be connected to alcohol use, and calling rhinophyma an “alcoholic nose” is not medically correct.
Widened blood vessels caused by heavy drinking allow more blood to travel to right beneath the skin’s surface, which gives the face a more flushed or red appearance. Until recently, doctors believed that rosacea and rhinophyma could be caused by alcoholism. This is a skin disorder called rhinophyma, which is a side effect of another type of skin condition called rosacea. In less severe cases, medication may be effective in treating rhinophyma.
Once rhinophyma becomes severe, there are visible and obvious changes to the shape, skin and size of the nose. In many cases, doctors are not able to definitively find the cause of rhinophyma. For those suffering from rosacea, it’s normal to feel self-conscious when experiencing pimples or redness of the nose.
Alcohol use disorder and skin conditions like rosacea are connected because of the potential for alcohol to worsen existing skin conditions. Even a single alcoholic drink can cause flare-ups for many people with this condition. A survey by the National Rosacea Society found that red wine was the most common culprit, followed by white wine and beer. A spreading redness could move across the cheeks, nose, and other areas with blood vessels close to the skin. Like rhinophyma, rosacea can affect anyone including those individuals who have darker skin as well as children and teens.
It’s a progressive condition that forms gradually over years and is thought to be the result of an untreated, less severe form of rosacea. Surgery, including laser treatment or dermabrasion, may be necessary to remove large bumps on the nose from rhinophyma if they interfere with breathing. Each individual is sensitive to alcohol in different ways, so everyone who has rosacea may not see a flare-up after drinking. Below are some of the most common physical indications that you or a loved one may have alcoholic nose. Surgical therapy, along with topical treatments, are incredibly effective for helping return the nose to its original shape without harming the bone and cartilage structures.
However, there has been a significant shift in the way the medical field looks at and approaches rhinophyma after recent research. “[Rhinophyma–diagnosis and treatment].” Polish Journal of Otolaryngology, 2004. We have strict sourcing guidelines and only link to reputable media sites, academic research institutions and, whenever possible, medically peer reviewed studies.