DIAGNOSIS CHECKLIST
for Red face

Why: to determine if acute or chronic.

Why: e.g. eczema may be aggravated by soap, frequent washing, chlorinated water, bubbles baths, sweating (because it is drying), sand pits, winter months, extremes of hot and cold weather, emotional stress, wool clothing or blankets, chemical disinfectants, detergents, scratching or rubbing, pregnancy, menstruation and various food stuffs.

Why: e.g. flushing from embarrassment, shyness, anger, stress, anxiety, guilt, strong emotion, exercise, sex, alcohol, spicy food, sunburn.

Why: e.g. perfumes, hair sprays etc may cause allergic contact dermatitis.

Why: e.g. asthma, hay fever - increases the chance of atopic dermatitis (eczema).

Why: suggests port wine stain, strawberry nevus or Sturge-Weber syndrome (if associated with mental retardation, epilepsy and paralysis of one side of the body).

Why: e.g. atopic dermatitis (eczema), hives.

Why: e.g. polycythaemia may be caused by lung disease, heart disease, kidney disease, liver cancer, adrenal cancer, cerebellar tumors and dehydration; carcinoid syndrome is associated with liver metastases; presence of allergic type conditions such as asthma, hives and hay fever increase the risk of atopic dermatitis; mitral stenosis may be caused by Rheumatic fever.

Why: e.g. niacin is a vitamin that may be used to lower cholesterol. If used in large amounts or taken in overdose may cause severe facial flushing, itchiness, diarrhea, abdominal pain and may aggravate asthma; other medications that may cause flushing and facial redness include calcium channel blockers, certain anti-diabetic medications and diabenase.

Why: e.g. food allergies, insect allergies, drug allergy.

Why: e.g. MSG additive in food may cause facial flushing and other adverse effects in people sensitive to it.; spicy foods may cause facial flushing and exacerbate rosacea; recent ingestion of fish such as tuna, mackerel and skipjack may indicate possible scrombotoxic fish poisoning which can cause facial flushing.

Why: e.g. heavy cigarette smoking may cause polycythaemia which causes facial redness.

Why: alcohol may cause facial flushing; alcohol intolerance may cause flushing only after a single drink; alcohol may exacerbate rosacea.

Why: e.g. allergies, eczema, systemic lupus erythematosus.

Why: e.g. Yellow fever which is confined to Africa and South America and spread by mosquitoes may present with a red flushed face.

Why: e.g. carbon monoxide poisoning may cause red facial flushing; scrombotoxic fish poisoning which can cause red facial flushing.

Why: may suggest chicken pox, eczema herpeticum, exfoliative dermatitis, severe allergic contact dermatitis from poison ivy, tooth abscess, slapped cheek syndrome, scarlet fever, rubella, erysipelas, systemic lupus erythematosus. A fever itself (from any cause) may cause a red flushed face.

Why: if associated with facial redness suggests a tooth abscess where the infection has spread through the adjoining tissues to cause cellulitis of the face.

Why: suggests systemic lupus erythematosus.

Why: e.g. acne-like facial rash, episodic reddening of the face (flushing) with increases in skin temperature in response to heat either from hot liquids, spicy foods, alcohol or sun. May be complicated by red eyes or enlarged nose.

Why: e.g. spontaneous or induced bluish-red flushing (usually of the face or neck), abdominal pain, recurrent watery diarrhea - This syndrome occurs in only 5% of patients with carcinoid tumors and only when there is liver metastases.

Why: e.g. palpitations, hot flushes, night sweats, fatigue, dry skin, dry vagina, emotional changes.

Why: e.g. emotional lability, agitation, nervousness, tremor, palpitations, loose bowel motions, intolerance to heat, facial flushing, sweating of the hands, muscle weakness, weight loss despite normal or increased appetite.

Why: e.g. tiredness, dizziness, ringing in the ears, facial redness, redness of the eyes, severe itching of the skin after a hot bath. May be complicated by angina chest pain, intermittent claudication and gout.

Why: e.g. paroxysmal episodes of anxiety, tremor, headache, facial flushing, pallor, sweating and heart palpitations.

Why: e.g. 2-3 hours after ingestion may experience red facial flushing, burning, itchiness, headache, hives, nausea, vomiting and difficulty with breathing.

Why: e.g. high fever, headache, pain behind the eyes, muscle and joints aches and pains, flushed face, red eyes, abdominal discomfort, vomiting; followed several days later by yellowing of the skin, bruising and bleeding from the gums.

Why: e.g. fever, malaise, tiredness, Raynaud's syndrome, butterfly shaped facial rash. Systemic lupus erythematosus may be complicated by protein in the urine.

Why: e.g. itchy, red, dry, scaling, cracked skin. The typical distribution of the rash changes as the person grows older. In infants the rash is usually on the cheeks of the face, the folds of the neck and scalp. It may then spread to the limbs and groin. During childhood a drier and thicker rash develops in front of the elbow, behind the knees and on the hands and feet, which may be dry, itchy, cracked and painful. Rarely does eczema have an adult onset.

Why: e.g. may range from faint redness to severe swelling, symptoms are often worse in area around the eyes, genitals and on hairy skin, symptoms are least on hairless skin such as palms and soles. Allergic contact dermatitis is usually confined to the site of exposure to the allergen.

Why: e.g. tends to occur in young school aged children. Features consist of fever, enlarged lymph nodes in the neck, aching joints. The facial rash has the characteristics of slapped cheeks. There is also a fine red rash over the limbs.

Why: e.g. fever, headache, sore throat. Red slightly rough rash covering the entire body, except around the mouth. The rash lasts about three days and then the skin, including that on the tongue begins to peel.

Why: e.g. red-purple coloured mark over one side of the face which is present at birth and fairly sharply demarcated. May be associated with epileptic seizures and paralysis of the opposite side of the body.

Why: e.g. bilateral blue-pink discoloration over the upper cheeks, progressively severe shortness of breath, cough with blood tinged frothy mucous. May have symptoms of heart failure including lower leg swelling, weakness and fatigue.

Why: e.g. shortness of breath, cough, tiredness, skin symptoms occur in 10% of cases and may include red-purple or brown plaques or nodules on face, nose, ears and neck in chronic sarcoidosis.