The College Drinking Series: The Campus Blush

"Everyone was having a great time…a few drinks and lots of laughs. Sue was with us but she rarely, if ever drinks. It never fails. It’s not that I think there’s anything wrong with that or her, but it just seems strange. After all, this is college! I finally got to spend some one-on-one time with her so I asked her why she didn’t really drink. She explained that because her mother was part Japanese she had inherited and allergic reaction to alcohol. This made no sense to me."

Actually, this makes a lot of sense. After all, as many as fifty percent of people of Asian descent experience a flushed complexion after drinking alcohol. Most will describe many similar reactions while drinking such as: rosy or red face, increased pulse, dizziness, nausea and headache. And, most also mention a certain degree of embarrassment about those reactions when out with friends.

This Asian Flush or Asian Blush is technically called alcohol flush reaction. Often this reaction is a response to the body's inability to break down ingested alcohol completely. To properly process alcohol, the body undergoes a two–step process that involves two enzymes: alcohol dehydrogenase (responsible for converting alcohol to acetaldehyde) and aldehyde dehydrogenase (responsible for breaking down the acetylaldehyde). Studies show that individuals affected by alcohol flush reaction have an inability to produce enough of the enzyme aldehyde dehydrogenase to effectively break down the acetylaldehyde. Since acetylaldehyde is a toxin elevated levels of acetylaldehyde when drinking result in the flushing and eventually more serious effects, such as headaches, dizziness, and nausea.

Researchers have yet to determine why people of Asian descent have this genetic difference. However, it is suggested that this difference can help account for the lower levels of alcoholism in Asian communities, since many of the symptoms of alcohol flush reaction discourage people from drinking.

But, having an Asian background is not the only cause of alcohol flush reaction. Another contributing factor is a condition known as rosacea the symptoms of which are similar to the Asian Flush. These symptoms can be triggered by sunlight, heat, environmental stress and, of course, alcohol. As a matter of fact a new survey shows that just one alcoholic drink can trigger problems in two out of three rosacea patients. Interestingly, there is evidence that rosacea is caused by a genetic and an ethnic predisposition -- it runs in families, typically those of fair-skinned heritage such as Irish, English, Scandinavian, Scottish, and similar descents.

A final contributing factor to what appears as alcohol flush reaction is the presence of sulfites in wine. Sulfites occur naturally in wine and are often added to wine as well by winemakers. There tends to be a greater level of sulfites in red wine. Some people have an allergic reaction to sulfites, the symptoms of which are similar to alcohol flush reaction.

If you deal with alcohol flush reaction and choose to drink despite this reaction, it is critical to listen to what your body is telling you. Because the primary contributing factors to alcohol flush reaction are genetic, there is not much you can do about it. Tolerance levels and the severity of flushing and other symptoms vary, so if you do choose to drink you might want to test how much alcohol it takes before your rosiness becomes noticeable. Also, there is some anecdotal evidence that suggests low doses of heartburn medicine such as Zantac or Pepsid AC (rantidine and famotidine) may relieve the body of the symptoms if taken an hour before drinking. If you feel physically uncomfortable, stop drinking, it is for your own benefit, especially if you have a history of alcohol flush reaction.

"Sue continues to be a close friend. We often go out and socialize together. It is interesting though. When she does have a drink I can’t help but look at her and smile."

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