We Need to Discuss the Asian Flush
With This Knowledge, You Could Save a Life
Living in a world where alcohol seems to permeate every social function, where being a teetotaler (person who does not drink alcohol) is a social faux pas, what do you do when you can’t drink? That thought pulls me back to a time in my late college years when I was freshly concussed, being cajoled by my colleagues to have just one shot for posterity.
Alas. Some people cannot — should not — drink. You’ve likely heard of Asian flush syndrome. Common among people of East Asian descent, this colloquialism refers to a state where someone turns red from drinking alcohol. It can be extremely uncomfortable as well, causing headaches, nausea, and rapid heart rate. Some folks will even call it “cute,” due to the fact that it makes you blush red like a lobster.
Society mandates that we must drink, so researching the condition leads to ads for kits to reduce symptoms and posts about how we should normalize the Asian flush. Yet little about the life or death nature of it.
Why do you turn red? It’s your body’s way of telling you that it can’t process alcohol. Why? You inherited a mutated ALDH2 gene that doesn’t allow you to process the toxic byproduct of alcohol, acetaldehyde. Acetaldehyde builds up in your system, damaging DNA moreso than in people whose bodies clear it out.
If you’re extra unlucky, you may have inherited a mutated ALDH2 gene from each of your parents… giving you “double” Asian flush and making it extra dangerous to drink.
Why does this matter? Even if you use Advil, antihistamines, or something else to drink socially, having the Asian glow and drinking will increase your risk of several cancers, Alzheimer’s, and other diseases. Most notably, esophageal cancer. Those with Asian glow who drink have a 6–10x higher likelihood of getting esophageal cancer, which normally accounts for 1% of cancers. Esophageal cancer is a lethal cancer, with a 5-year survival rate of 16% in America.
Beyond informing your drinking habits, these facts would be good to discuss with your doctor. It’s the rare doctor that knows the risks of this genetic mutation, so make sure you flag it to them. For example, trouble swallowing (dysphagia) is a common symptom of esophageal cancer, yet due to the cancer’s rarity, a doctor may not think it’s indicative of cancer unless they know someone is at risk for it.
So, do your research and talk to your doctor! Sharing this information with your doctor may end up saving you or someone else. Do you know anyone in your life who gets the Asian glow? Let them know about the risks, it may end up being life or death.
