Content

• Steps
• Warnings

Allergy to alcohol, also known as alcohol intolerance, can be a very frustrating experience. It is caused by an inability to break down alcohol or various ingredients in alcoholic beverages, and the symptoms are numerous, and they can often indicate another disease. Fortunately, there are ways to tell if you are allergic to alcohol, although they can be annoying. It is important to find out if you have an alcohol intolerance; taking chemicals that you cannot digest can have dire consequences.

Steps

1. 1 Understand that alcohol itself is often not the cause. While alcohol allergies are rare, you may have heard of them before. However, it is much more likely that the grain used to make the alcohol, or the preservative that was supposed to keep it fresh, caused an allergic reaction.
   • Beer, wine, and spirits contain the allergen histamine, which occurs during fermentation. Histamine is, of course, the cause of allergic reactions in humans.
   • Beer and wine can also contain sulfites, which are used as preservatives. Sulfites are known to aggravate asthma and cause other allergy symptoms.
   • The protein allergen “LTP” can be found in grape skins, which means that red wine (which is fermented with grape skins, as opposed to white) is a common allergen.
   • And at the same time, red wine contains fewer preservatives than white wine, which means that it contains less sulfites.
2. 2 Know the common symptoms associated with an alcohol or alcohol allergy: They include:
   • Nasal congestion
   • Itchy, red, inflamed skin that is warm to the touch (hives)
   • Headache
   • Rapid / fast heartbeat
   • Nausea and vomiting
   • Abdominal pain
   • Runny or stuffy nose.
3. 3 Try drinking only one type of alcohol at a time. Drink only beer (preferably one kind) or wine and watch for symptoms. If symptoms do not appear, cross the beer / wine / alcoholic beverage from the list and gradually try a different beer / wine / alcoholic beverage. Over time, you will be able to determine which beers / wine / drinks contain allergens and which do not.
4. 4 Determine how much alcohol you can consume without causing symptoms. While sticking to one beer / wine / beverage, try to determine the amount of alcohol that is needed for the symptoms to appear.
   • In some cases, with these types of alcohol allergies, you will experience mild symptoms during ingestion, or symptoms will only appear with excessive consumption or certain types of alcohol. If you can handle it, you don't have to get tested. To confirm the diagnosis, however, you need to see your doctor.
5. 5 See your doctor for tests to determine if you are allergic to alcohol or intolerant to alcohol.
   • Your doctor will take a skin test or blood test to determine a definitive diagnosis. With a skin test, one of the possible types of allergen is injected under the skin. If the skin reacts, then you are allergic.
   • In a blood test, it will be necessary to determine the presence of an immunoglobulin antibody, which will help determine the response of your immune system to certain substances. Unfortunately, this analysis is not always accurate.
   • The doctor will also do other tests, such as a complete medical history and physical examination. Diseases such as Hodgkins lymphoma, Asian roots, and the use of certain drugs, antifungal drugs, or disulfiram increase the likelihood of alcohol intolerance.
6. 6 Consume alcohol that does not affect you, as well as those that contain fewer ingredients. Once you've made a list of the spirits that don't make you hives, follow it. Also consider these types of alcohol:
   • Try grains-free spirits such as potato vodka, rum (fermented from sugar), and tequila (fermented from the agave plant).
   • Avoid flavored alcoholic beverages.
   • If sulfites in wine are causing allergic reactions, drink red wine. If LTP in red wine bothers you, drink white wine.
   • Avoid carbonated alcoholic drinks. Alcoholic drinks that contain gases cause allergic reactions.

Warnings

• Never drink more alcohol than you can, especially if you are allergic to it. In some extreme cases, alcohol can cause an anaphylactic allergic reaction that can potentially threaten your health.