# Bulbous red noses on drunks

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bulbous-red-noses-on-drunks/119136>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 15, 2002, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bulbous-red-noses-on-drunks/119136 "2002-07-15T22:50:22Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![scott\_evil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/91b2a8/32.png) [@scott\_evil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scott_evil)\
**Post date:** [July 15, 2002, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bulbous-red-noses-on-drunks/119136/1 "2002-07-15T22:50:22Z")

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What causes this? It seems like a cliché, but I’ve come across many a long-time, hardcore alcoholic\* with a gigantic red nose.

So what about years of drinking causes this? Something I’ve wondered for quite a while now.

- s.e.

- Not to say I don’t drink regularly, and sometimes to excess. This is just a GQ.

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**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\
**Post date:** [July 15, 2002, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bulbous-red-noses-on-drunks/119136/2 "2002-07-15T22:59:35Z")

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Well, in the case of W.C. Fields, it was rosacea.

[(Scroll down to “What Causes Rosacea?”)](http://www.rosacea.org/p2.html)

Rosacea can be triggered by many things. For some people it’s alcohol; in my case it’s wind and/or cold.

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**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\
**Post date:** [July 15, 2002, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bulbous-red-noses-on-drunks/119136/3 "2002-07-15T23:00:55Z")

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Duh – that should be “Who Gets Rosacea?” :smack:

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**Author:** ![stofsky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dfb087/32.png) [@stofsky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stofsky)\
**Post date:** [July 16, 2002, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bulbous-red-noses-on-drunks/119136/4 "2002-07-16T02:32:07Z")

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Just as an aside, it comes from blown capillaries just under the skin. Also known as gin blossoms (hence the name of the band).