Alcoholic Nose: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment

Please read on to learn all you need about alcoholic nose and the connection between alcohol addiction and skin conditions. The condition known colloquially as “alcoholic nose” or “drinker’s nose” is also known as rhinophyma. Rhinophyma is characterized by redness on and around the nose as well as an enlarged or lumpy appearance of the nose.

What is rhinophyma?

Rosacea often happens in flare-ups that can last weeks or months before your skin calms down and the symptoms disappear. Rosacea is frequently misdiagnosed as acne or other similar skin conditions. It can affect anyone but is most common among middle-aged women with lighter complexions. 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.

Find An Addiction Recovery Center Today.

The main treatment option for rhinophyma is surgery; however, there are some medications that may provide a small degree of help. Surgical treatment can remove tissue overgrowth, reshape disfigured noses, and minimize the appearance of enlarged blood vessels. It may be completed with a scalpel, laser resurfacing, dermabrasion, or via cryosurgery. Treatment options for alcoholic nose generally include medication and surgery. Mild rhinophyma is best suited for medication, which often includes topical anti-inflammatories and antibiotics.

Eliminating The Stigma Behind Alcoholic Nose

There are several treatment options available for individuals struggling with alcohol abuse and addiction, including inpatient and outpatient treatment programs. Alcoholic nose, or drinker’s nose, is an informal term that refers to an enlarged purple nose that is thought to be caused by chronic alcohol abuse. Learn more about drinker’s nose and if drinking alcohol can affect the features of the face.

• While it’s true that chronic alcohol abuse can lead to many health problems, there is no definitive evidence that drinking alcohol causes the so-called alcoholic nose.
• Likewise, not everyone with an alcohol addiction develops rosacea, either.
• Once rhinophyma becomes severe, there are visible and obvious changes to the shape, skin and size of the nose.
• However, it’s important to note that excessive alcohol consumption can certainly worsen rosacea in general and rhinophyma in those individuals who have this condition.

Treatment for Alcoholism & Mental Health in Ohio

• Additives in red wine may cause even more noticeable reddening of the skin.
• For more advanced forms of rhinophyma, the most effective way to manage thickened skin is almost exclusively through physically removing excess tissue.
• Therefore, a common cause of rhinophyma is having long-term rosacea.
• This stereotype can put some of those who experience rhinophyma in an embarrassing spot.

These sores often look splotchy, have spider-like veins, or appear acne-like. What’s more, alcohol can trigger the overgrowth of a mite called Demodex folliculorum, naturally occurring on our skin. Those of us with rosacea can have up to four times more the Demodex mites on our face than people who don’t have rosacea. However, only a small percentage of people with rosacea will develop the condition. One study found that out of 108 patients with rosacea, only 15 were noted to also have rhinophyma, almost all of whom were men.

How is Alcoholic Nose Treated

Of course, avoiding alcohol isn’t always easy—especially for long-term drinkers. Ria Health offers a proven at-home treatment to help you limit or stop your consumption of alcohol. You set your own personal goal, and we help you achieve it with coaching, medication, and other tools and resources. While drinking may not cause “alcoholic nose,” getting help to quit drinking can make the condition much easier to manage. It is important to emphasize that at the end of the day, alcoholic nose doesn’t really have much to do with alcohol at all. There is a misconception that being an alcoholic will cause you to form a bulbous and red nose.

• Surgery, including laser treatment or dermabrasion, may be necessary to remove large bumps on the nose from rhinophyma if they interfere with breathing.
• Therefore, by stripping the face’s skin of moisture, alcohol contributes to the appearance of wrinkles and saggy, dry skin.
• Alcohol addiction and alcohol abuse do not directly cause rhinophyma.
• We are a mental health rehab center that specializes in supporting adults with co-occurring disorders, including alcohol use disorder.

This is a great tool for those looking to stop drinking because of alcoholic nose. A medically supervised detox allows them to fully quit drinking in a safe, encouraging environment. At most, excessive drinking can increase someone’s risk of developing rosacea. However, it is not more or less impactful than any other risk factors, such as gender, age, skin tone, and family history. Likewise, not everyone with an alcohol addiction develops rosacea, either. In many cases, “alcoholic nose” is used to describe the most severe, end-stage form of rosacea, known as rhinophyma.

The helpline at AddictionResource.net is available 24/7 to discuss the treatment needs of yourself or a loved one. This helpline is answered by Ark Behavioral Health, an addiction treatment provider with treatment facilities in Massachusetts why do alcoholics have big noses and Ohio. However, these treatment methods have not been effective for reducing swelling or the appearance of bumps on the nose from rhinophyma. Until recently, doctors believed that rosacea and rhinophyma could be caused by alcoholism.

• Those of us with rosacea can have up to four times more the Demodex mites on our face than people who don’t have rosacea.
• The nose may also take on a purple-like hue in these severe rhinophyma cases.
• Over time, the number of sebaceous glands and the changes in connective tissue increase, which can result in progressive deformity.
• Further, alcohol widens facial pores, allowing blackheads and whiteheads to form, which can contribute to acne.
• We also have many resources available to help you through every step of the recovery process.
• To understand how rosacea can lead to rhinophyma, it’s important to understand what rosacea is, its symptoms, and how it develops.
• Some people can also experience small scatterings of red bumps that can be filled with pus and the skin could feel warm or mildly irritated.