What Is Alcoholic Nose Rhinophyma? Red Drinker’s Nose

Rhinophyma, the condition often referred to as alcoholic nose, has a red, swollen, lumpy appearance. The nose may also have a purple-colored appearance and could be mistaken for having warts or other skin blemishes that look like protruding lumps. While alcohol nose does not directly imply addiction, it can be a visible manifestation of long-term alcohol abuse for some people. If you or someone you know struggles with alcohol addiction, The Hope House can help.

Why Do Alcoholics Have Red Noses?

• Since everyone has different levels of sensitivity to alcohol, those suffering from rosacea will have to test and build their own boundaries to avoid severe flare-ups of alcoholic nose.
• But a 2015 study from the University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine proved that there is no connection between alcohol abuse and rhinophyma or rosacea.
• Still, many doctors may recommend a multi-solution approach that combines options such as carbon dioxide lasers with dermabrasion to better remove damaged tissue.
• Alcohol can cause an imbalance in blood platelet activity, as well as dehydration, which increases the risk of nosebleeds.
• Some common triggers for nose bleeds include dry air, allergies, nose picking, and exposure to irritants such as smoke or chemicals.

A survey by the National Rosacea Society found that red wine was the most common culprit, followed by white wine and beer. At Georgetown Behavioral Hospital, your days will be structured with enjoyable, recovery-based activities. These will include individual and group therapy, in addition to regular, personal meetings with your treatment team to discuss both successes and barrier to recovery. By giving you a regular schedule, our programming helps you establish healthy, constructive routines to improve your ability to function in daily life. Treatment for why do alcoholics have big noses typically starts with a trip to the doctor. A physician will look at your medical and family history and possibly do tests to rule out other causes of the problem like eczema or lupus.

Symptoms of Alcoholic Nose Bleeds

• Thus, somebody who is an alcoholic and rhinophyma may have a redder and more bulbous nose than their red, and bulbous nose usually is.
• To learn about how we treat substance abuse at Ark Behavioral Health, please connect with our treatment specialists today.
• He had a large, bulbous nose that he referred to as his “gin blossoms,” presumably from the amount of gin he drank.
• Alcohol use disorder and skin conditions like rosacea are connected because of the potential for alcohol to worsen existing skin conditions.
• However, if you have a serious reaction or severe pain, see your doctor.

If you develop rhinophyma, your nose may appear red, large, and even bumpy or bulbous. The visual side effects are most obvious on the tip and lower part of the nose, since the actual bone structure is not affected by the condition. Not everyone with rosacea who develops thickened skin will go on to develop rhinophyma.

Medical Professionals

Primarily, alcohol is a diuretic that dehydrates the entire body, including the face. Therefore, by stripping the face’s skin of moisture, alcohol contributes to the appearance of wrinkles and saggy, dry skin. Further, alcohol widens facial pores, allowing blackheads and whiteheads to form, which can contribute to acne. Springbrook Mental Hospital is a 66 bed inpatient mental health facility located in Hernando County. We offer 24-hour psychiatric services provided by licensed professionals in various disciplines. 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.

Get Help for Alcohol Addiction Today

As part of rosacea, small, red, and pus-filled bumps might also form on the face. An alcoholic nose or a “whiskey nose” is a slang term used to describe a red nose or bumpy nose considered to be caused by excessive alcohol consumption. 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. 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.

This stigma has caused many people to feel uncomfortable and ostracized from society. The issue is that rhinophyma has absolutely nothing to do with alcoholism. Rosacea is a separate disease and disorder from alcoholism and has no connecting cause.

Don’t let addiction dim your light.

Topical retinoids might also be recommended for anyone who catches the condition in its early stages. Take our short alcohol quiz to learn where you fall on the drinking spectrum and if you might benefit from quitting or cutting back on alcohol. If caught in the early stages, however, symptoms can often be managed with medication and lifestyle changes. There is no cure for rhinophyma, and it typically does not go away without surgery.