Relationships June 23, 2017
We're talking much worse than a bad hangover.
Alcohol. Some love it, some hate it. Most people still have a drink every once in a while.
If you get symptoms that don’t seem like the stereotypical drunk experience, you may have an alcohol allergy. An alcohol allergy is different from alcohol intolerance, however.
“If you have an alcohol allergy, your immune system overreacts to alcohol. If you have alcohol intolerance, your digestive system doesn’t process alcohol properly,” according to Healthline. An alcohol intolerance is more sudden, as opposed to an allergy which is always present.
Now, if you drink alcohol and act a fool, you’re just a stupid drunk – there’s no medical term for that.
Think back to the last time you had a few drinks. If you thought, ‘I’m not supposed to feel this badly from alcohol,’ then see if you experienced the below symptoms.
If you did, you may have an alcohol allergy — and a legit excuse if anyone ever gives you a hard time for not drinking.
There are multiple symptoms one can experience if they have an alcohol allergy. “Facial redness, hives, asthma, stuffy nose, low blood pressure, vomiting and diarrhea,” are just some of the symptoms one can experience, as stated by Mayo Clinic.
One of the most serious symptoms that can occur from an alcohol allergy is Anaphylaxis. “Anaphylaxis is an extreme and severe allergic reaction. The whole body is affected, often within minutes of exposure to the substance which causes the allergic reaction (allergen) but sometimes after hours,” the Anaphylaxis campaign describes. This is treated with epinephrine, or more commonly known as an EpiPen.
For those of you with any type of allergy, it is important to realize the different components in alcohol. These could be causing you to have an allergic reaction when you drink.
“Yeast, Barley, Rye, Histamines, Grapes, Gluten, Wheat” and many other variables are commonly found in alcohol, and could be the cause of your allergic reaction.
According to WedMD, if you “are of Asian descent, have asthma/ hay fever, have food allergies, or Hodgkin’s lymphoma,” you could be more prone to having an alcohol allergy. Those of Asian descent commonly get “Asian glow”, a term describing the redness that occurs in the face if too much alcohol is consumed.
Additionally, “Alcohol, once consumed, is able to enter our blood straight away, however, an enzyme produced by the liver, called Aldehyde Dehydrogenase (ALDH) breaks it down into vinegar (acetic acid). Some people do not produce ALDH or do not produce enough,” according to Food Reactions.
There isn’t a single cure that will allow you to drink without a reaction if you have an alcohol allergy. Individuals with mild cases can use an antihistamine.
“An antihistamine can reduce the reactive symptoms caused by the irritants in the alcohol. An antihistamine can also help to relieve symptoms of itching or the development of hives as a result of the consumption of alcohol,” as stated by LIVESTRONG.
Those with asthma should carry an inhaler when drinking, for shortness of breath is a common symptom of alcohol allergies. However, ultimately abstinence is the best policy if you think you have an alcohol allergy. Signs vary between type of alcohol and consumption amount.
If you think you may be allergic to alcohol there are a couple things you can do. It’s pretty similar to other allergies, so WebMD suggests that you check your family history and symptoms, take a skin, blood or physical test or do an elimination diet to see what may be causing your reaction.
Drink (or don’t) responsibly!
