You get a compliment, and suddenly you turn bright red. But what actually happens when you blush?
This is what happens when you blush… Flushing is caused by an increased blood flow to the head, which causes the nose, chin, cheeks and sometimes your neck to turn red. The widening of the superficial blood vessels often also makes you warm. Blushing can have a physical or a spiritual cause. With great effort, during sex or excitement, but also due to hormone fluctuations, for example during the menopause, you can turn red. In addition, emotional stress in a social situation can lead to blushing. Your body pumps blood to the face as a result of a fight-or-flight response. You produce adrenaline, which causes an increased heart rate. There is more pressure on your veins, the blood is pushed up and in places where your skin is thin you become red:you blush. Blushing is completely harmless, but if you suspect that blushing has a physical cause – the menopause or new medication, for example – it is wise to go to the doctor.
