Allergic reactions are common. Irritants cause many people to suffer from being around furry animals, refuse some food and even drink.
Everyone is well aware that the use of alcoholic beverages can lead to the most detrimental consequences. However, few people have met with such a phenomenon as an allergy to alcohol. In fact, such a pathology has become quite widespread today. First of all, it is explained by the huge amount of "singed" products on store shelves. In other situations, a similar phenomenon is explained by individual intolerance to strong drinks.
Looking at funny photos of an allergy to alcohol, you can erroneously conclude that there is nothing wrong with it. However, when it comes to the composition of alcohol-containing products, dangerous chemicals, preservatives and other components that negatively affect the human body are increasingly found in it. As a rule, after the initial use of such drinks in a person, a rather severe poisoning occurs. However, after repeated use, a chronic allergy to alcohol may develop.
Reasons
Many mistakenly believe that a bottle of ordinary vodka contains only alcohol diluted with water. However, according to medical practice, most poisonings do not occur due to intolerance to ethyl alcohol. This is due to the fact that strong drinks differ in a much more diverse composition.
Most patients note that the negative reaction occurs only after drinking a certain type of alcohol. This means that not the highest quality products were used in the production of wine or favorite cognac.
Most allergens are found in factory-made drinks. As a rule, a wide variety of synthetic impurities are added to them, which make the color and taste of the liquid brighter. However, do not assume that natural products cannot cause an allergy to alcohol. For example, wine prepared according to all traditions may also contain allergens. Only in this case they are natural.
As a rule, the most common cause of an allergic reaction is too long and continuous use of a low quality drink. In this case, the body is overwhelmed with artificial additives and tries to get rid of irritants.
In addition, a similar reaction can develop in those who suffer from any other type of allergy.
Alcohol allergy symptoms
As with any other reaction of this type, there are no obvious signs of pathology in the first stage. The person may experiencesome malaise, but most often this is attributed to too large volumes of alcohol-containing products. The first thing that people pay attention to when they are allergic to alcohol are red spots on the face and neck. If the irritant continues to negatively affect the body, then in this case everything is not limited to the usual rash, as the disease progresses. If a person does not stop there and continues to take alcoholic products, then this can lead to serious gastrointestinal disorders.
Let's take a closer look at how an allergy to alcohol manifests itself:
- Some time after drinking a strong drink, a person observes redness on the hands and face. This is because the capillaries expand. In addition, puffiness may also appear.
- The body temperature rises. It seems as if a cold is starting. In addition, the eyes may begin to water. Patients begin to sneeze and suffer from stuffy nose.
- The blood pressure rises, which causes a sharp influx of blood to the head. Against this background, a headache and heart palpitations may develop.
Also, among the signs of an allergy to alcohol, some note mild gastrointestinal disorders. For example, the patient may feel sick.
Besides, there are more serious manifestations of such reactions.
Rash
When allergic to alcohol, red spots appear very often. This is the first and most obvious sign that many attribute to the onset of the flu or too hot weather.weather. However, if any skin manifestations appear after drinking alcohol, you should reconsider your addictions.
Rash may present as hives or dermatitis. As a rule, redness is localized in the neck, chest and face. There may also be a rather strong burning sensation.
If we are talking about pseudo-allergies, then in this case, rashes can also appear on the legs and other parts of the body.
Quincke's edema
Not everyone is clearly aware of how dangerous an allergy to alcohol can be. In a particularly severe form, such a reaction can lead to Quincke's edema. In this case, the lips, oral mucosa, respiratory tract and eyelids of a person swell very much. In this case, the symptoms may also include acute itching of the skin. With this form of alcohol allergy, spots can appear all over the body, the skin may turn blue.
The main danger of Quincke's edema is that it becomes too hard for a person to breathe. Such a phenomenon can even lead to death.
How is allergy different from alcohol poisoning
If you look at a photo of an allergy to alcohol and similar pictures depicting poisoning, at first glance it is very difficult to find these or those differences.
This is not surprising, because in both cases, nausea, vomiting, migraines and redness on the face can be observed. However, do not assume that these symptoms have exactly the same effect on the body.
In case of allergy, the reaction does not occur due to the toxic properties of alcohol or other products contained in the drink, but due to the negative effect of some components of the drink on the patient's immunity. If, after drinking a glass of champagne, a pronounced rash appears on the face, which itches a lot, then this indicates an allergy to alcohol.
In addition, it is possible to distinguish the effect of an irritant from poisoning based on the volume of consumed products. With an allergy, it is enough for a person to take a few sips of a strong drink, after which the first signs will appear. In this case, the reaction can occur even when alcohol comes into contact with the skin. If we are talking about poisoning, then most often nausea and redness appear after a person has drunk beyond his measure and has little control over himself.
The most difficult thing to distinguish the symptoms of those people who drink alcohol exclusively on holidays. This is because in this case a person does not know his limits and can get poisoned even from a small amount of alcohol.
A number of procedures are required to diagnose an allergic reaction. First of all, you need to donate blood for tests. The doctor may also require skin tests. Based on the data obtained, the doctor will draw the appropriate conclusions and suggest further treatment.
If we talk about allergies to alcohol on the face and other parts of the body, then it can manifest itself in a wide variety of drinks.
Vodka
If we talk about allergies to this popular strong drink, then most oftenallergic reactions develop when wheat and other natural or synthetic allergens enter the liquid during the manufacturing process. Some people have an individual intolerance to alcohol.
Ethanol is a very strong solvent. When it enters the body, the permeability of the intestinal walls increases significantly. Because of this, not only particles of undigested food enter the bloodstream, but also numerous toxins.
Also in medical practice, there are cases when the patient's liver is not able to produce the required amount of enzymes for the breakdown of ethanol. In this case, we are talking about intolerance to any alcoholic products. It is strictly forbidden to use any strong drinks with such a pathology.
Cognac
As a rule, when drinking such a drink, a food allergy is caused. Even in the case of purchasing expensive cognac, there is a risk of getting this pathology. The fact is that a high-quality strong drink is made in oak barrels. This material contains special proteins that interact with pollen. A similar component is an extremely strong allergen.
If we are talking about low quality cognac, then in this case there is a big risk of getting a fake, in the production of which vodka is combined with aromatic and coloring substances. Due to aggressive chemical additives, the immune system is forced to work in extreme mode.
On the other hand, cognac contains special tannins, which in some situations,On the contrary, they help to resist allergies. They protect the intestinal wall from thinning, so that unnecessary substances do not enter the human bloodstream.
Wine
Many believe that wine products are the safest. This is an erroneous assumption, since pesticides are used to grow large volumes of grapes. They are highly toxic substances used in agriculture to protect crops from attack by pests and diseases.
If the wine contains even a minimal amount of pesticides, it can lead to an extremely severe allergic reaction.
On top of everything else, sulfur dioxide is often added to wine. This component is a strong irritant. If we talk about the cheapest brands of this drink, then they usually contain a large amount of flavors and synthetic colors.
Champagne
In this case, the factors that cause allergic reactions are approximately the same as when drinking wine. However, it is worth noting that histamines and sulfates are additionally added to the sparkling drink. These ingredients are preservatives.
In addition, during the production of champagne, sulfur dioxide is added to the raw materials, which prevents early fermentation and unwanted fermentation of the drink.
Whiskey
This noble drink is also on the list of those that people are quite often allergic to. If we talk about its composition, then whiskey can contain a wide variety of components. For example, it may contain m alt, barley, rye, wheat, and many other ingredients. When these substances react with alcohol, they are absorbed into the blood much faster, leading to an allergic reaction.
In addition, it is worth considering that high-quality whiskey is infused in oak barrels.
Treatment
What to do if you are allergic to alcohol? First of all, it is worth removing the irritant from the body as soon as possible. To do this, try to induce vomiting. After that, it is recommended to take activated charcoal or an antihistamine. However, these drugs should not be taken at the same time. It is also worth considering that some antihistamines do not combine with alcohol.
When the allergic reaction is eliminated, do not leave the problem unattended. It is worth contacting a specialist and passing the necessary tests. In this case, it can be revealed that the hypersensitivity reaction could be hereditary. Regardless of the reason, it is worth giving up the allergen.
In closing
If you continue to take alcoholic products, it can cause more serious consequences than itching or redness.
Excessive drinking, even in the absence of allergies, can be very dangerous to he alth. Therefore, you need to drink in moderation.
