Alcohol Allergy & Alcohol Intolerance

Or maybe that beloved pint of beer suddenly turns into a stuffed nose? Then you might have developed a sudden intolerance to alcohol. One of the ways your body processes alcohol is by using the ALDH2 enzyme, called Aldehyde dehydrogenase.

When you drink alcohol, your liver first breaks down alcohol into a toxic chemical called acetaldehyde. Your body uses an enzyme called aldehyde dehydrogenase, or ALDH2, to break down acetaldehyde. However, in some people, ALDH2 does not work can you be allergic to alcohol correctly, resulting in alcohol intolerance. The best way to prevent an adverse reaction is to avoid any item containing alcohol. This includes alcoholic beverages , as well as other culinary or medicinal products with alcoholic content.

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Sudden onset of symptoms may also be caused by a newly developed intolerance. In rare cases, pain after drinking alcohol might be a sign that you have Hodgkin’s lymphoma. People often call alcohol intolerance an alcohol allergy, and vice versa. People who have a true alcohol allergy should avoid drinking alcohol entirely. The only way to avoid the side effects of an alcohol intolerance or an alcohol allergy is to avoid drinking alcohol altogether.

Benadryl, though commonly used as an antihistamine, causes drowsiness and is not safe to take with any amount of alcohol. Alcohol is not an easy substance for your body to digest. It has a high number of sugars and is a toxin, according to your kidneys and your liver. Their body sees this substance, whatever it is, as an immune threat and treats it like any other virus or bacteria.

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However, in people with an alcohol allergy, the system mistakenly produces antibodies to attack alcohol following exposure to the substance, triggering various symptoms. Watch the video below to learn more about alcohol intolerance. You should never ignore the symptoms of an allergic reaction.

Red wine’s resveratrol content is linked to health benefits like improved heart health, but it can also cause worse wine headaches and allergy-like symptoms. It could be the higher amount of tannins in some red wines or the histamines in most reds. People with asthma are more likely to have a sulfite sensitivity after wine consumption. Those with more severe sulfite sensitivities may experience symptoms like breathing problems and skin reactions. What is the difference between a reaction to sulfites in wine and an allergic reaction to wine?

What are symptoms of alcohol intolerance?

People with celiac disease, non-celiac gluten sensitivity, or a wheat allergy may need to steer clear of conventional beer. Wine and distilled spirits are generally considered safe. If you or someone you love is struggling with alcohol abuse despite an alcohol intolerance, The Recovery Village at Baptist Health can help.

• Your liver converts the ethanol to acetaldehyde, a substance that can cause cell damage.
• If you suspect you have an intolerance based reaction, there are antihistamines you can take to help your body process what’s already in your system.
• The medication is injected to quickly relax muscles to open up airways.
• Itchy, Watery Eyes – Alcohol intake increases sugar levels in your blood, causing the lenses of your eyes to swell.
• An enzyme known as aldehyde dehydrogenase is responsible for turning ethanol into acetic acid within the liver.

Unless you’ve had genetic testing done, it’s hard to know if you have the gene variant. Instead of having expensive tests run, pay attention to the symptoms you experience after consuming alcohol. Not everyone has the same version of ALDH2 in their bodies. There’s a variation on the genetic level that makes it less effective at carrying out its purpose and is usually the cause of alcohol intolerance. Allergic reactions differ between people, but it’s possible for the throat to swell, killing the person by not allowing them to breathe.