The first alcoholic drinks appeared several millennia ago. Throughout this time, they are an integral part of the lives of many people. Some use them only on holidays, when happiness overflows; others resort to alcohol in moments of grief and despair; and there are those who abuse them at all. Regardless of addiction, alcohol can have a completely different effect on the body. Some people even have a small amount of wine, vodka or beer, which at first glance seems like a completely harmless drink, and the negative consequences of various etiologies appear. Therefore, many people have a question about whether there can be an allergy to alcohol. Let's try to understand this issue in more detail and find out what methods of treatment for this typical immunopathological process exist, as well as what needs to be done before the doctors arrive when it manifests.
general information
Before we figure out why there is an allergy to alcohol, let's first find out what it is. It is extremely rare, and according to the assurances of doctors, it is diagnosed in patients in isolated cases, however, this phenomenon is very dangerous and can lead to various undesirable consequences that pose a threat to human health and life.
As a rule, it manifests itself due to the immunity of the body of certain substances that make up alcoholic beverages. The disease develops with repeated exposure to allergens and is accompanied by pronounced symptoms.
Main reasons
Let's dwell on this in more detail. The causes of alcohol allergy can be very different. It is important to understand here that in itself it does not develop, but is a consequence of any changes occurring in the body.
According to medical staff, the immune system responds to triggers as a result of the following reasons:
- poor environmental conditions in the region of residence;
- constant stress;
- change in the quality of life, both for the worse and for the better;
- exacerbation of chronic infectious diseases transferred in childhood;
- malfunction of the immune system;
- colorants and flavorings;
- pesticides;
- synthetic stabilizers;
- nuts, citruses, almonds, which are added to many drinks to enhance the taste.
They themselves are powerful pathogens. In addition to all of the above, an allergy to alcohol (whose photos look just awful) can be transmitted at the genetic level from parents to a child.
Classification
The main factors contributing to the development of typical immunopathological processes in humans have been considered above, however, alcohol allergy is manifested due to the negative effects of various substances that are perceived by the immune system as pathogenic. At the same time, according to doctors, every year the number of allergens only increases, which significantly worsens the statistics. Today, doctors divide pathogenic substances into two categories - natural, which are inside the human body, and technogenic, falling into it from the external environment along with various products.
The composition of any alcoholic beverage, regardless of degrees, contains ethyl alcohol, which, due to its chemical formula, simply cannot be considered an allergen on its own. It is recognized by the immune system as a pathogen due to the fact that it enters the body with other substances with which it enters into a chemical reaction and turns into more complex compounds. It is because of this that an alcohol allergy develops, the symptoms, treatment and diagnosis of which will be discussed later in this article.
As for the classification, doctors distinguish two types of typical immune pathologies:
- true - the immunity of the body of one or more components contained in an alcoholic drink;
- cross - response not only to the main components, but also to side pathogenic substances that have a similar chemical formula.
Once in the intestines, alcohol causes many processes, as a result of which a person may experience allergic reactions to other components and products consumed by a person after taking a drink. According to medical statistics, approximately 10% of people who applied for help to the hospital experienced a food allergy.
In addition, alcoholic beverages can enhance the manifestations of typical immunopathological processes or exacerbate various diseases that in their symptoms are very similar to allergies, for example, bronchial asthma or various types of inflammatory lesions of the epidermis.
Clinical manifestations
This issue should be given special attention. So what are they like? To avoid many negative consequences after drinking drinks for adults, you need to know how alcohol allergy manifests itself. It is important to understand that clinical manifestations can be expressed as two atypical responses from the immune system, namely intolerance and allergy itself. In the first case, the manifestations are genetic in nature and are individual for representatives of a particular ethnic group, and in the second, they are spontaneous and depend on the amount of alcohol consumed and the duration of the abuse of “burning water”.
Intolerance is caused by a low blood level of aldehyde dehydrogenase (II) and an excess of the beta polypeptide alcohol dehydrogenase (IB), which is responsible for the processing of ethyl alcohol in the body. The response from the immune system occurs already at the first use of alcohol, so a person can immediately understand that he has intolerance. It is accompanied by clinical manifestations such as an increase in body temperature, the appearance of red spots on the skin of the face, an increase in heart rate, a sharp decrease in blood pressure, as well as nausea and vomiting.
Symptoms of an allergy to alcohol in all people can be different and depend on the individual sensitivity to the components that make up alcoholic beverages, a particular person, as well as their state of health. Symptoms, in contrast to manifestations of intolerance, are more pronounced. An asthma attack rolls on a person, angioedema and anaphylaxis develop. In some cases, against the background of a typical immunopathological process, a person may develop a hemolytic crisis, taxidermy, thrombocytopenia and serum sickness.
As for the specific symptoms, they can be as follows:
- discomfort in the oral cavity;
- cough;
- runny nose;
- lacrimation
- red rashes throughout the body;
- urticaria;
- difficulty breathing
- acute shortage of air;
- dyspnea.
The clinical manifestations listed above make themselves felt almost instantly after a person drinks an alcoholic drink.
A few hours after this, the following symptoms of an alcohol allergy may appear:
- severe pain in the abdominal region;
- migraine;
- papular urticaria;
- itching of the skin throughout the body;
- inflammation of the epidermis.
External symptoms may indicate either a primary or secondary immunological response. Very often, an allergy does not develop on ethyl alcohol, but is a consequence of its metabolism with other substances. According to doctors, most often the most powerful standard immunopathological process is caused by wine, champagne and beer, which contains salicylic acid and yeast.
Allergy to cognac, whiskey, tequila and rum
How is it manifested, and what should be expected? An allergy to alcohol, the diagnosis and treatment of which will be described in detail below, most often occurs specifically for these alcoholic drinks. This is due to their complex composition, in which there is a huge amount of substances, flavors and dyes. In addition, during the manufacturing process, they are kept in wooden barrels for a long period of time, in which many chemical reactions take place, and simple compounds turn into complex ones.
But here it all depends on the quality of the product. For example, in the case of expensive branded cognacs and rum, allergic reactions are much less common in people. This is because today on the market there is a huge number of fakes made from low-quality raw materials.
Also, an allergy to alcohol (red spots appear on the face first) can be felt due to the abundance of fusel oils in them, which are the cause of a very difficult hangover. Moreover, if heavy and fatty foods act as snacks, the response will become more pronounced. To avoid this, doctors recommend a careful approach to the fact that you will drink alcohol. Ideal for this are citrus fruits, especially lemon, as well as fresh fruits. But mixing them with other drinks and making cocktails is not advisable, because in this case the allergy can be caused not by ethyl alcohol, but by something else.
Allergic reactions to liquors
How are they dangerous for the human body? These drinks are considered traditionally female, because they are not as strong as, for example, vodka or cognac. They are produced in two ways, in each of which an alcohol allergy can manifest itself with varying degrees of severity. Worst of all happens from liquors, the production of which is based on prolonged infusion of berries, fruits and herbs in alcohol or other alcoholic beverages. After a certain period of time, the mash is filtered, diluted with water and sugar syrup in the desired consistency, and secret components are added to them. In such drinks there is a huge amount of ingredients, therefore, most often, not ethyl alcohol, but various additives act as a pathogen.
The second way is the distillation method. It allows you to get safer alcoholic beverages, however, the products are more expensive and only a few can afford it.
Wine allergy
What you need to know about this? Many people are interested in the question of whether there can be an allergy to alcohol, which has a low strength, for example, wine. Indeed, many doctors recommend that their patients take a little of this drink of the gods, explaining this by its high health benefits. As for the beneficial effect, it is undeniably there, however, typical immunopathological processes are also quite common.
Profiled experts explain this by the fact that the composition of the wine contains such ingredients as:
- sagebrush;
- citrus;
- Melissa;
- muscatel;
- cardamom;
- grapes;
- cinnamon;
- black elderberry.
All these cultures themselves are very powerful pathogens, and in combination with alcohol their negative properties increase many times. If a person has any other types of allergies, then reactions to alcohol from the immune system will be especially stormy during an exacerbation of chronic diseases. In such periods, drinking alcohol is very risky, because you can never be sure of what consequences will arise.
Beer allergy
What is she like? Natural and high-quality beer, which many people love, is made from hops and malt. The majority of the body reacts poorly to the last ingredient. In addition, some manufacturers add synthetic components to the beer to reduce the cost of production, which, with prolonged use of this drink, can be recognized by the immune system as pathogenic substances, as a result of which a person is allergic to alcoholic beverages. In addition, they settle on the walls of the intestines and can cause various skin diseases and lead to indigestion.
Champagne Allergy
This drink is today very popular among the beautiful half of humanity. In almost all types of sparkling wine, including vintage, there are preservatives of artificial origin and sulfates that can cause a typical immunopathological reaction. At the same time, it belongs to the food species and does not have any serious consequences, and also does not pose a particular health hazard. This allergy to alcohol (photos completely confirm this) is manifested by only one symptom - red spots on the face and neck. More serious clinical manifestations are found only in isolated cases, and only in those people who have any serious health problems.
Vodka Allergy
This product contains wheat and ethyl alcohol. The liver is not able to produce hormones that neutralize their negative effects, as a result of which a huge amount of toxic substances enter the body. All people have different reactions to vodka. In our country, most people normally perceive this drink, but representatives of other ethnic masses, such as Asians, can feel very bad even after drinking a small amount of alcohol.
Basic diagnostic methods
What is their feature? With 100% accuracy, it is possible to determine exactly what a person has: intolerance or a typical immunopathological process, only a profiled specialist can be based on the results of certain laboratory tests after a full examination of the patient. It is important to understand that the diagnosis of alcohol allergy is a very complex process, the main task of which is to identify the root cause of its development and determine the toxin.
Therefore, if you suspect a health problem while drinking alcohol, you should contact your immunologist or allergist. The doctor will conduct an oral survey and a full examination of the patient, after which, on the basis of the data obtained, he will prescribe suitable laboratory tests. If the samples are negative, then there is no allergy, and the whole thing is individual intolerance. In this case, you should completely abandon the use of alcohol.
Therapy
So, after visiting the hospital, you found out that you are allergic to alcohol. What to do in this case? First of all, you should completely limit yourself in drinking drinks for adults.
In addition, doctors advise the following:
- adhere to a special diet aimed at removing toxins from the body;
- checking the liver and kidneys for any pathologies;
- frequent and long walks in the fresh air;
- playing sports;
- daily intake of large amounts of fluid.
All these recommendations can eliminate the symptoms of a typical immunopathological process, making it less pronounced. Here, probably, everyone will have a question about how to treat an allergy to alcohol.
Only a doctor can give an exact answer, since drugs are selected on the basis of the patient’s health status and characteristics of his body, but most often qualified doctors prescribe the following:
- "Polyphepan" - helps to eliminate toxins and general cleansing of the body.
- "Essliver" - improves the functioning of the liver and relieves inflammation.
- Activated carbon.
- "Adrenaline" - improves the cardiovascular system.
- Glucose-containing drugs - normalize blood pressure and metabolic processes.
If you are interested in how to treat an allergy to alcohol, it is not recommended to self-medicate, since taking any medications without first consulting with an experienced doctor can be dangerous to health and life. They can significantly aggravate the patient’s well-being and lead to serious complications, some of which often result in death.
What to do before the ambulance arrives?
We examined medical methods of treatment, but how to treat an allergy to alcohol and what to do until the emergency care carriage arrives? If the symptomatology manifests itself in an acute form, then any delay can cost you your life, so it is very important to call an ambulance right away.
Until she arrives you need to take the following actions:
- Make gastric lavage with plain cold water.
- Take "Polysorb" and drugs that relieve symptoms when allergies occur.
- In case of acute lack of air, use an inhaler.
- Drink diuretics that help reduce intoxication.
- After about half an hour, take activated charcoal.
If after the above actions the allergy to alcohol does not recede even a little, then this may indicate a very complex form. In this case, you won’t be able to do anything else yourself, so it’s best to wait for the doctors who will perform all the necessary procedures.
How to minimize the likelihood of allergies when drinking alcohol?
A very common case that a huge number of people face is an alcohol allergy after encoding. This is a completely normal reaction of the body after a long pause, and if you come across it, this does not mean that drinking will never work again. There are certain tips that can help you reduce the risk of a typical immunopathological process.
The main ones are the following recommendations:
- If you plan to go on a holiday where there will be a plentiful table, then about an hour before leaving the house, drink a cup of strong coffee without sugar, and then make a cocktail of gin and tonic. It contains quinine, which improves the functioning of the digestive system, which will make it much easier to cope with alcohol. And in 15 minutes, take one Mezim Forte tablet.
- Try to use more natural and lighter drinks, such as vodka, avoiding cognac and tequila, in which there are a lot of harmful impurities.
- If you drink whiskey, then it is better to refuse to eat. Exceptions may include products such as pure dark chocolate, fruits, seafood, and cheese.
- If the main alcoholic drink at the celebration is vodka, then ask to serve sauerkraut to it. This dish is great for beer, no matter how strange it sounds.
- Give preference to fresh vegetable salads and fruits. Avoid fatty fried foods, as they significantly increase the likelihood that an allergy from alcohol (red spots are its first sign) will make itself felt. If you prefer to drink alcohol, then tonic, green tea and natural juices are great for this.
- After drinking alcohol, refrain from coffee, milk, soda, and confectionery.
- Never disturb different types of alcohol. If you started drinking vodka, wine or beer, then continue it.
It is worth noting that many people are convinced that if you increase the degree of alcoholic beverages, then there will be no severe intoxication, a terrible hangover and other serious consequences, however, this is nothing more than a myth.
Whether you raise the degree or lower, for your health it does not matter at all. The only difference is that mixing alcohol increases the load on the liver, which has to produce more different enzymes responsible for neutralizing alcohol. In addition, if during the feast you are allergic to alcohol, it will be much more difficult for doctors to make an accurate diagnosis and determine the allergen that caused it.
Conclusion
Any allergy, including alcohol, is a very serious immunopathological process, which can be fraught with various negative consequences. Therefore, when faced with it, you need to go to the hospital for quality treatment. In general, in order to never encounter this problem, doctors are advised to adhere to a sense of proportion and not to abuse alcoholic beverages.