These substances can make your blood vessels dilate, which causes symptoms of alcohol intolerance. A 2014 study showed that people who have a history of hay fever (allergic rhinitis) or asthma are more likely to develop symptoms of alcohol intolerance when they’re exposed to these substances. People with aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease (AERD) allergic reaction to alcohol are also more likely to have alcohol intolerance. If you feel ill after drinking alcohol but don’t experience symptoms at any other time, it’s possible that you have an alcohol intolerance. The many ingredients in beer make an allergy to one of the specific ingredients more likely. You may also have a food sensitivity rather than an allergy.
It also offers tips on how to drink alcohol safely if you have an allergy or intolerance to any ingredient used to make wine, beer, or distilled spirits. In some cases, reactions can be triggered by a true allergy to a grain such as corn, wheat or rye or to another substance in alcoholic beverages. If you have a true alcohol allergy, even small amounts of alcohol can cause symptoms. You can also get allergy testing to check whether you have a true allergy to alcohol. Allergy testing can also tell you if you have an allergy to another component of alcoholic beverages like wheat, grapes, or barley. Your doctor also may recommend that you stop drinking all alcoholic beverages for a while.
What You Can Do to Manage Alcohol and Depression
Diagnosing an alcohol allergy can be challenging due to the variety of ingredients in alcoholic beverages that could potentially cause a reaction. Healthcare providers usually conduct a thorough medical history and may perform skin prick tests or blood tests to identify the specific allergen. Once diagnosed, the primary treatment for an alcohol allergy is avoidance. Reading beverage labels and being aware of the ingredients in your drinks can help prevent a reaction.
It turns alcohol into acetic acid, a main component of vinegar, in your liver. Some people have a variant in the gene that codes for ALDH2. Paying attention to which beverages cause symptoms can help people manage their alcohol intolerance. Researchers are exploring the complex relationship between alcohol and allergic reactions. People with an alcohol allergy should exercise caution when eating or drinking anything that they have not prepared themselves. These range from heart and liver damage to a greater risk of certain cancers.
Milder reactions to alcohol may also occur
If you experience headache, flushing, itching, or congestion after drinking red wine, it may be because you have histamine intolerance. Taking antihistamines regularly before drinking could also cause your body to build up a tolerance to the medicines. Your judgment may be impaired and you may continue https://ecosoberhouse.com/ to drink even when your body is trying to tell you to stop. Talk with your doctor before taking any medications to help prevent allergic symptoms from alcohol. Some people take medicines like the antihistamines diphenhydramine (Benadryl) or famotidine (Pepcid) about 30 minutes before drinking alcohol.
- In severe cases, carrying an epinephrine auto-injector can be lifesaving in the event of an anaphylactic reaction.
- Similarly, those with a mold or yeast allergy may need to steer clear of fermented beverages made with brewer’s yeast, including beer and wine.
- Alcohol consumption can lead to feelings of depression due to chemical reactions.
- People of Asian descent are more likely to experience the symptoms of alcohol intolerance due to a genetic variant resulting from the domestication of rice in southern China centuries ago.
- The symptoms of histamine intolerance are similar to an allergic reaction.
- The only way to avoid a reaction, is to avoid alcohol altogether, or at least the particular substance that causes your reaction.