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Getting red in the face after alcohol may lead to medical problems
By Christi Myers
(11/09/05 - KTRK/HOUSTON) - Have you ever heard of the Asian flush? For years many considered it a joke.
But it's not. It happens to some of Asian decent when they drink and now doctors say they should take that red face as a serious warning. It's real. It's embarrassing. It can lead to serious medical problems. And Asian flush can be caused by drinking as little as half a glass of wine. It's the bane of young upwardly mobile Asian Americans.
"When you go to a party with non Asians you become more aware of it because you stand out in a crowd," said Houston City Councilman Gordon Quan. Blame the Asian flush. Quan has what's called the Asian flush. "Halfway through a drink if there 's alcohol in the drink my face starts getting flushed and red and my eyes get red and it looks like I'm drunk," said Quan. He's not. Nor are the millions of other Asian Americans who have Asian flush. "
If the causal stranger looks at me he thinks boy he's been drinking a lot. It gets to be a little bit embarrassing," said Quan. He shouldn't be embarrassed. It's genetic. Mutation and almost half of Asians have it. Instead of metabolizing alcohol, instead their body makes something that's even more toxic.
"Chemically it's related to formaldehyde -- if you can imagine," said Dr. Robert Guynn with UT Houston Medical School. Dr. Guynn says then that toxin spills over into the body. "Produces the flush produces nausea headaches and unpleasant feelings," said Dr. Guynn. For years it's been considered an open joke. Now doctors have found if people with Asian flush continue to drink, they are at risk for serious medical problems such as esophageal cancer live cancer and others.
"I think it adds an added burden on me to be careful when I go to parties as far as drinking alcohol," said Quan. You may have Asian flush if after one drink you have a red face, headache, nausea fast or irregular heartbeat. Dr. Guynn says ironically, there are few alcoholics in the Asian community that's in part because so many people with Asian flush have learned to avoid alcohol.
(Copyright © 2005, KTRK-TV)
By Christi Myers
(11/09/05 - KTRK/HOUSTON) - Have you ever heard of the Asian flush? For years many considered it a joke.
But it's not. It happens to some of Asian decent when they drink and now doctors say they should take that red face as a serious warning. It's real. It's embarrassing. It can lead to serious medical problems. And Asian flush can be caused by drinking as little as half a glass of wine. It's the bane of young upwardly mobile Asian Americans.
"When you go to a party with non Asians you become more aware of it because you stand out in a crowd," said Houston City Councilman Gordon Quan. Blame the Asian flush. Quan has what's called the Asian flush. "Halfway through a drink if there 's alcohol in the drink my face starts getting flushed and red and my eyes get red and it looks like I'm drunk," said Quan. He's not. Nor are the millions of other Asian Americans who have Asian flush. "
If the causal stranger looks at me he thinks boy he's been drinking a lot. It gets to be a little bit embarrassing," said Quan. He shouldn't be embarrassed. It's genetic. Mutation and almost half of Asians have it. Instead of metabolizing alcohol, instead their body makes something that's even more toxic.
"Chemically it's related to formaldehyde -- if you can imagine," said Dr. Robert Guynn with UT Houston Medical School. Dr. Guynn says then that toxin spills over into the body. "Produces the flush produces nausea headaches and unpleasant feelings," said Dr. Guynn. For years it's been considered an open joke. Now doctors have found if people with Asian flush continue to drink, they are at risk for serious medical problems such as esophageal cancer live cancer and others.
"I think it adds an added burden on me to be careful when I go to parties as far as drinking alcohol," said Quan. You may have Asian flush if after one drink you have a red face, headache, nausea fast or irregular heartbeat. Dr. Guynn says ironically, there are few alcoholics in the Asian community that's in part because so many people with Asian flush have learned to avoid alcohol.
(Copyright © 2005, KTRK-TV)