RED ALERT

The surprising reasons for a flushed face

THIS week: Medication and sunlight A RED face can be caused by a number of medicines — a common cause is steroid creams.

So-called ‘cortisone face’ may develop after long-term use, possibly because the steroids trigger a reaction from the immune system which causes the redness. Other widely-used drugs that can trigger flushing include calcium channel blockers used for high blood pressure, the cancer drug tamoxifen and certain doses of the antibiotic vancomycin. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as aspirin can also cause it. The mechanisms involved are not fully understood though it may be due to the drugs’ effects on blood vessels. In most cases symptoms stop when the medication is stopped.