While for some people with the most extreme blushing problems, ETS might be considered, careful consideration is prudent before moving forward with this surgery due to the side effects it can cause. Keep in mind also that there isn’t any way for doctors to know in advance how your body will react.

One common side effect of ETS is Compensatory Sweating (CS), which means perspiring in the back and lower stomach areas. This happens with many patients, although many people say it improves the further away from surgery they are.  In some cases the patient feels the new sweating problem is worse than the blushing problem it was supposed to fix.

Facial blushing patients who received ETS surgery reported a 90% success rate.  Some have reported bothersome sweating, usually in the forehead, when they ingested spicy foods.

In extreme cases, Horner’s Syndrome can result, which causes eyelid drooping and constricted pupils, has resulted.  Also reported in rare cases have been bleeding or air leaks from the lungs.

Your doctor can perform the operation by cutting the sympathetic nerve, or by clamping it with titanium clips.  If you opt for surgery, the clamping method would be wise, as it can be reversed if you suffer problem side effects.

More detailed information and opinion on ETS surgery can be found at the following links:

ETS and Reversals Forum

Hyperhidrosis and ETS

Wikipedia ETS page

Have you considered ETS to cure your blushing problem? Have you had ETS surgery? Share your experience by leaving a comment below.

Fearing other’s judgment; they totally blow the blushing episode up to be this big, scary problem that really isn’t. A little redness in the face and a few stammered words are not catastrophic, but that person thinks they are. Those same people exaggerate the way their blushing affects others.

One “treatment” available for social anxiety and blushing is cognitive therapy. This type of therapy attempts to directly address all the triggers that a blusher might have for their problem. Sufferer’s anxiety is what feeds the blushing pattern, so cognitive therapy seeks to teach different ideas and feelings about that anxiety.

Therapy will also teach special exercises that aim to help reduce blushing, and patients will want to practice these often as the new, more rational information is becoming embedded in their mind. A combination of methods lead you to change how you think, feel, and most of all, perceive, blushing. These changes will help them to control over their blushing.

This type of therapy can take a considerable amount of time and patience, not to mention quite a bit of money laid out to the therapist the patient works with. Cognitive therapy, like any other treatment, does not work for everyone, and is just one option available to those who suffer from a severe blushing problem.

There are many exercises that a blusher can work on without a therapist; Blushing Breakthrough contains many exercises to help blushers work on recognising their own personal triggers and reducing anxiety.

People with social anxiety are afraid that people will see their blushing negatively, as a sign that they are dishonest or weak.  However, it is possible that others will see someone who is blushing as shy or nervous, sensitive, or even ill.  The fear of blushing actually increases the possibility of the physical response, since the fear activates the fight or flight response and therefore the sympathetic nervous system.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Those with bothersome social anxiety would do well to seek assistance.  Therapists trained in cognitive behavioral therapy or CBT can help the sufferer to understand their beliefs and how those around them view their blushing or sweating- it is possible that others might think that the blushing is cute and not a sign of weakness.

CBT often involves having the sufferer confront their fears, and the situations that cause them to fear blushing and sweating.  Lowering the person’s apprehension about the fearful situations will also cause a decrease in the physical responses.

The good news is that there is natural relief available for these types of problems.  Slow breathing and positive affirmations to one’s self are often helpful.  There is also psychotherapy and other types of therapy that can have a positive effect without the use of drugs to control the problem.

Herbal remedies are all natural and work for many people who have social anxiety issues.  There are many different types which are used successfully by different people:

Lemon balm is often used as a calming agent to relax nerves and treat insomnia and anxiety.

Passion flower is known as ‘nature’s tranquilizer.’  Not only does it help combat stress, anxiety, and insomnia, it also contains alkaloids, which closely mimic monoamine oxidase inhibitors, which are often prescribed for depressed patients.

Kava Kava is popular in Fiji, where it’s been used for a long time. This herb has been called ‘nature’s Valium’ because it produces similar relaxing and calming effects in people who take it.

St. John’s Wort’s history for treating depressed and anxious people is legendary, and it has earned the nickname ‘nature’s Prozac’ accordingly.

Lavender is a powerful herb that’s well known for calming the nervous system, and is used by people combating fatigue, anxiety, nervousness, stress, and depression.

There are many other herbal remedies for social anxiety disorder and blushing: chamomile, valerian, and hops.  (Yes, many people take their hops in liquid form.)

Of course, it’s very important to talk to your doctor and be sure herbal supplements are right for you.

Do not try to combine herbal supplements on your own, but rather allow someone who is qualified in the field to do that for you.  Comprehensive formulas that work together can offer greater benefits than just one herb, if properly combined.  Leave that to the herbal experts!

If the blushing problem is the result of vasodilation in the facial area, beta-blockers can help to alleviate the redness problem. However, it really only works when blushing occurs only during specific situations, like when you need to speak in public. Taking the medication an hour or so prior to the scheduled time will keep the redness in check. Beta-blockers also lower your blood pressure, so unless that is needed in your case you’ll need to be careful of how much you are taking. Be sure to consult your doctor in this regard.

There are also some herbal medications that purport to be helpful with blushing. They are made with GABA, magnesium, Passion Flower, Valerian, and Taurine, which are natural substances used to reduce anxiety, insomnia, and stress, and for maintenance of the central nervous system. This type of combination of herbs might be helpful in relieving the anxiety and stress caused when your blushing problem is psychological in nature. This medication works on the assumption that your blushing is an involuntary emotional response to stress and anxiety.

Understandably, your blushing seems very serious to you. Please be careful when checking into products that might be helpful with your problem, and keep your doctor informed of any pills, even herbal substances, as they can interact with other medications you take.