Can Alcohol Make Your Allergies Worse?

GiphyIf sneezing after drinking alcohol reacting to your favorite adult beverages, you may even have an alcohol intolerance. The Mayo Clinic says that the most common signs include a stuffy nose, hives, low blood pressure, nausea and diarrhea. On top of those reasons, the individual may have an alcohol intolerance. An alcohol intolerance is commonly mistaken for an alcohol allergy and is often misdiagnosed. If your body is unable to remove acetaldehyde from the body, symptoms like congestion, flushing, headaches, and more can persist.

This dilation occurs first in the brain, so you may feel flushed or warm after only a few sips of alcohol. The dilation then extends to blood vessels throughout your body, including those in your nose. When you drink alcohol, it’s absorbed into your bloodstream and quickly travels to your brain. Another reason why alcohol can cause wheezing is that it not only contains histamines but also stimulates the body to release excess histamines, causing an inflammatory response.

Why Does Tequila Make Me Sneeze?

Drinking plenty of fluids will help to thin out the mucus in your nose and make it less likely to trigger a sneeze. Taking painkillers can be a slippery slope to addiction — not to mention, they aren’t long-term solutions. Explore why physical therapy is a safer, more sustainable approach to pain management. When you struggle with a substance use disorder, the problem can affect your physical, mental, and spiritual health, which is why we focus on all three for optimal wellness.

When byproducts of alcohol don’t get broken down quickly enough, they accumulate to levels high enough to cause a mild allergic reaction. Wine and beer have a lot of histamines in them, which is a substance yourbody produces naturally. Histamines develop over time, mostly in aged beverages or foods, like wine and aged cheese. Having an alcohol allergy is rare – much rarer than being allergic to dairy or peanuts. If you have issues digesting alcohol, you more likely have alcohol intolerance. When someone has an alcohol allergy, they’re usually allergic to one of the ingredients used in the beverage.

Alcohol Allergies Can Cause Sneezing, Flushing, Headache

Be aware, however, that labels might not list all ingredients. If you find that straight spirits make you sneeze, try diluting them with water or soda before you drink them. This will reduce the alcohol in the drink and make it less likely to trigger a sneeze.

Asians, particularly those of Chinese, Japanese or Korean descent, can experience a “flush syndrome” when drinking alcohol because of troubles with digestion, according to Bassett. A protein on the skin of a grape, mostly those in red wines, can contribute to symptoms in those who already have allergies, according to a German study. If you’re frequently sneezing after drinking, you must see a doctor as there may be an underlying condition that needs to be treated. If drinking from a glass makes you sneeze, try drinking through a straw instead. This will help reduce your nose’s contact with the drink and make it less likely to trigger a sneeze. If you find that warm drinks make you sneeze, try chilling them before you drink them.

What’s the deal with wine sneezes?

Regardless, many people who consume alcohol experience allergy-like symptoms. If you are allergic to alcohol, you may want to look into your family for signs of an alcohol allergy. Some people may have allergies to the ingredients in alcoholic beverages, but it is uncommon to have an alcohol allergy.

• In some people, drinking alcohol may also trigger an allergic reaction, which can cause sneezing and other symptoms.
• While the effects of wine on health are frequently reported, allergy or intolerance to wine has not been as closely studied.
• Whiskey contains fewer gluten grains, which lowers the likelihood of it becoming an allergy trigger.
• Avoidance is the current accepted treatment for any food or drink allergy.
• You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.
• We will also look at what causes alcohol allergies and review the differences between alcohol allergy and intolerance.

Just like wine, beer has a lot of ingredients that can make someone react negatively. Some of the most common culprits for reactions are gluten, hops, wheat, and yeast. If you have an intolerance or sensitivity to any of these ingredients, you’ll likely react to drinking beer. Symptoms are more likely to be a reaction to the ingredients in a drink, or the alcohol causing other types of allergies to worsen.