It’s burning. It’s itching. I can feel a rash-like discomfort spreading across my cheeks and towards my neck. Physically unbearable and uncomfortable.

Emotionally it’s worse. I hear the murmurs and see the side-eyed glances clock my splotchy complexion. “Do I look drunk?” I wander around my colleagues. “Am I noticeably red,” I frantically ask my friends, ready to douse my cheeks in heavy-duty concealer.

Scientifically, this phenomenon is called alcohol flush syndrome. More colloquially, it’s known as “Asian flush”, though it can affect non-Asians as well.

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Many East Asians – about 40 per cent to be exact – have this reaction. Specifically, it’s caused by a genetic mutation that reduces the ability to metabolise alcohol.

Experiencing the infamous glow can be isolating in several ways.

“After just downing half a glass, some already feel their headaches coming. Their heart may be beating faster,” says Saw Hoon Lim, a senior lecturer in the department of biochemistry and pharmacology at the University of Melbourne in Australia.

“You feel and look a bit hungover or drunk, and that might be embarrassing to some extent.”

However, Lim, who experiences facial flushing herself, says it’s important to reframe how we view Asian flush – less as a sign of weakness and more as a “blessing in disguise”.

“It’s your body’s way of telling you that you’re taking in something a little dangerous. Something that’s not good for your body.”

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What causes ‘Asian flush’?

For most people, the toxic parts of alcohol are broken down and metabolised by an enzyme called aldehyde dehydrogenase (or ALDH2). However, many East Asians like me are deficient in it. This leads to the build-up of toxins in our body and the experience of Asian flush.

In other words, “our bodies are intolerant to alcohol”, Lim says. Beyond what’s visible on the outside, “we feel nauseous, sometimes itchiness on the skin … physiologically, the body feels very (bad) because the ALDH2 is less functional”.

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To this day, I’ve scrambled to find a cure to mask the redness. Pepcid, an antihistamine typically used for heartburn relief, is one common (albeit temporary) remedy to reduce inflammation.

There’s even a market for “glow patches”, which claim to transfer antioxidants and vitamins into the bloodstream.

Neither of these, however, are US Food and Drug Administration-approved to aid with drinking.

“Your body is giving you signals. It’s not tolerating the alcohol, and it’s saying to limit your consumption … and yet when you get that peer pressure in a business or party setting, people try to drink through it,” says Davies, co-director of the Institute of Addiction Science at the University of Southern California.

“These (histamine) blockers like Pepcid are exactly the wrong approach, because all that’s doing is masking the outcome. It’s not breaking down the enzyme, so now you have that circulating in your body for longer periods of time without the consequences of your body telling you to slow down.”

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So why keep drinking through the flush?

Turning down a drink or two isn’t as easy as it sounds when alcohol is not only socially acceptable, but also socially pervasive. Those who have grown up in Asian households also understand the gruelling pressure to “push through the flush” as a noble badge of honour.

But I can’t help but wonder, is drinking for the sake of “fitting in” worth the discomfort and “lobster face”?

A resounding no is instinctual, yet I often find myself caving in out of fear that it’ll make me more of a social pariah to opt for a mocktail than to turn beet red. But Lei Yu, a Rutgers University professor teaching in the department of genetics and the Centre of Alcohol and Substance Use Studies, believes more people would be compassionate if they understood what Asian flush really was: alcohol intolerance.

If we tell ourselves we’re intolerant to alcohol, “we don’t marginalise ourselves”, Yu points out. “You don’t isolate yourself or feel bad, and then you’ll have a healthier lifestyle.”

That isn’t to say I won’t indulge in the occasional martini or still go out drinking with my friends. I may, however, just cradle the same glass and take slow, steady sips.

Jenna Ryu is a Wellness reporter at USA TODAY