Burning hot Face

Skin, nail and hair health
1

I am now in my fifties and been suffering from something for 40 years. Can't believe it's been that long but it seems to be very rare. i have read many many forums over the years and not seen my exact issue posted before. Its concerning what happens to me after i spend a few hours out in the cold and return into a warm environment. Actually it all depends on how long i spend out in the cold. Up to about an hour to an hour and a half my symptoms seem minimal but the longer i stay out in the cold the worse it gets.

After i go indoors where the temperature is a normal warm house temperature for winter my face begins to burn. Im talking really really burning and turns a bright red colour . it starts slow and the redness creeps down my nose, and spreads to y whole face. It's only my face and part of my neck. The rest of my body is perfectly normal. I get a headache, feel a bit dizzy and get close to throwing up. The only way i can describe is it's like having a hair dryer blowing on your face and there is no escape. It will eventually dissipate after about two hours. Then i feel worn out. To some degree i have learn't to live with it but mostly i live my life avoiding the exposure to the cold wherever possible. I never go on winter holidays because of it and will always make an excuse as to why i can't meet up after work, i need that two hours to cool down before i can go and meet friends. I work in the building industry so you can imagine the problem. After it starts I have been known to strip off after work and sit almost naked in sub zero temperatures to cool off as quickly as possible. I'm really sick of it. Occasionally i wear a scarf around my face all day which helps a lot but restrictive.

I have seen a couple of doctors and one psychologist about it. The doctors didn't take it seriously and psych thought it was a mental issue!. I am hoping there is some sort of expert with this kind of thing sitting out there who can help or at least find out if there are people like me who suffer and have found a cure. I have an understanding partner who is getting tired of being restricted by my condition. She wants to go skiing and enjoy long winter walks. Please help someone.

Not sure what discussion to post in so closest is skin condition but its not really that.

Regards

mrmars

2

My sister had something similar for years and was told it was rosacea. I don't know if you had checked this out or not?

3

I think the suggestion of rosacea makes sense. It sounds a bit like Lupus rash but given it is so intermittent and no other health problems rosacea sounds like a strong possibility.

4

It does sound like rosacea to me.

5

Thanks for the comments however, i have had this comment on other forums over the years and it's not rosacea. The health sites describe rosacea as an acne like skin disease. My condition is nothing like that and its not a rash.

This is one reason why i have kind of given up because Dr's don't know and nor does anyone else. Intense blushing is more the way to describe it except ramped up 100 times. I have seen psych's by the way who have not been successful.

I was hoping someone who understands the physiology of what happens to someones face when they blush which brings me into an environment which is more of a mental issue because of the obvious. My understanding is the blood vessels get widened under certain conditions which causes more blood to get to the surface of the skin, thus blushing. I guess i have been hoping for some sort of medication which can limit the amount of blood getting to the skin.

Anyway, thanks again, all i can do is keep hoping.

Regards

6

My sister did not have any sort of acne or rash, it was just the blushing redness. A friend has the same problem. 

7

yes my friend has the same. no acne or rash but a kind of furious blush in hot or cold temperatures but she has rosacea. 

8

Thanks for your comments.

Interesting they are still calling it Rosacea.

I believe my condition is more closely related to Reynauds Phenomenon. It starts with the nose and spreads across the rest of my face, triggered by cold then hot conditions and stress doesn't help. My so called experts won't bring themselves to diagnose it either way.

Are there any experts out there interested in this subject?

Regards

9

Two friends have Raynaud's phenomenon. One has moved to the South of France to help the symptoms. Raynauds tends to affect the extremities. The other friend has to wear gloves from around September onwards. Your description does not sound too much like Raynauds but I may be wrong.