Alcohol & Health
Treatment
Helping Alcoholics
Medically Reviewed by Annamarie Coy, BA, ICPR, MATS
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Alcoholic nose or rhinophyma is a rare condition that typically affects Caucasian men between 50 and 70. It's caused by a skin condition called rosacea.
Alcoholic noses typically appear:
Historically, rhinophyma has been mistakenly linked to alcohol consumption. However, there's no evidence linking rhinophyma to excessive alcohol use. This incorrect association has created a stigma that may affect self-esteem.2
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Alcoholic nose is characterized by symptoms of rosacea, including:
In the early stages of rhinophyma, these symptoms are mild to moderate. People who have rosacea may not develop an alcoholic nose until years later.
Doctors are uncertain about the cause of rhinophyma. It is more common in men than women and typically affects people of Caucasian descent.
People with an alcoholic nose often have a genetic predisposition to or a family history of rosacea. This is especially if treatment for the skin condition is ineffective.
Many doctors advise people with rosacea to avoid drinking and cooking with alcohol. This is to prevent aggravating the skin disorder. Alcohol consumption may not be responsible for rosacea. But it is still linked to chronic skin inflammation because it can aggravate flare-ups.
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Alcohol can worsen existing skin conditions. Drinking alcohol dilates blood vessels, which makes them more likely to burst. Because of this, heavy drinking can aggravate rhinophyma, causing an alcoholic nose.
Until recently, doctors believed rosacea and drinker’s nose could be directly caused by drinking too much alcohol. However, a 2015 study at the University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine debunked the theory that consuming alcohol and rhinophyma are connected.6
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Avoiding risk factors to reduce redness and rosacea flare-ups can help manage rhyinophyma. Lifestyle changes to reduce rhinophyma nose involve cutting out or avoiding the following:
However, these lifestyle changes are ineffective in reducing swelling or the appearance of red bumps on a person’s nose due to rhinophyma.
Rosacea can be treated with oral antibiotics and topical creams. Dermatologists recommend anti-acne treatments like topical creams to moisturize dry skin resulting from rosacea.
Dermatologists also recommend using sunscreen to treat rhinophyma. Surgery may be necessary to remove large nose bumps resulting from severe rosacea. This is especially true if they interfere with breathing.
Although the condition worsens with excessive alcohol use, an alcoholic nose is not a sign of addiction or a drinking problem. However, if your nose is constantly swollen, it might be a sign you're drinking too much.
No matter how severe a substance abuse problem may seem, most people with alcohol addiction can benefit from treatment. One-third of people who receive treatment for alcohol problems have no additional symptoms a year later.5
Available treatment options for AUD include:
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