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 do abuse them. Regardless of addictions, alcohol can have completely different effects on the body. For some people, even a small amount of wine, vodka or beer, which at first glance seems to be a completely harmless drink, shows negative consequences of various etiologies. 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 arrival of doctors when it manifests itself.
General information
Before you figure out why people are allergic toalcohol, let's first find out what it is. It is extremely rare, and according to 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 he alth and life.
As a rule, it manifests itself due to the body's immunity to 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 take a closer look at this. The causes of an allergy to alcohol can be very different. It is important to understand here that it does not develop by itself, but is the result of any changes occurring in the body.
Immune system responses to triggers occur as a result of the following, according to medical staff:
- poor environmental conditions in the region of residence;
- constant stress;
- changing the quality of life, both for the worse and for the better;
- exacerbation of chronic infectious diseases suffered in childhood;
- failure of the immune system;
- colors and flavors;
- pesticides;
- synthetic stabilizers;
- nuts, citruses, almonds, which are added to many drinks to enhance the taste.
They themselves are strong stimulants. Above allof the above, an allergy to alcohol, (the photos of which look just terrible), 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 were discussed above, however, an allergy to alcohol manifests itself due to the negative effects of various substances 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 man-made, which enter 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 allergy to alcohol 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 - immunity by the body of one or more components contained in an alcoholic drink;
- cross - response not only to the main components, but also to sidepathogenic substances with 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 drinking. According to medical statistics, approximately 10% of people who seek help at the hospital have 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, such as bronchial asthma or various types of inflammatory lesions of the epidermis.
Clinical manifestations
This issue should be given special attention. So what are they? To avoid many negative consequences after drinking drinks for adults, you need to know how an allergy to alcohol manifests itself. It is important to understand that clinical manifestations can be expressed as two atypical responses from the immune system, namely intolerance and direct allergy. 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 due to low levels of aldehyde dehydrogenase (II) in the blood and an excess of alcohol dehydrogenase beta polypeptide(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 an intolerance. It is accompanied by such clinical manifestations 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 alcohol allergy in all people can be different and depend on individual sensitivity to the components that make up alcoholic beverages, a particular person, as well as his state of he alth. Symptoms, in contrast to the manifestation of intolerance, are more pronounced. An attack of suffocation rolls over 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 specific symptoms, they can be as follows:
- discomfort in the mouth;
- cough;
- runny nose;
- lacrimation;
- red rash all over body;
- urticaria;
- breathing difficulties;
- acute lack of air;
- shortness of breath.
The clinical manifestations listed above make themselves felt almost instantly after a person consumes an alcoholic beverage.
In a few hoursafter this, the following alcohol allergy symptoms may appear:
- severe abdominal pain;
- migraine;
- papular urticaria;
- itching of the skin all over the body;
- inflammation of the epidermis.
External symptoms may indicate both a primary and a secondary immunologic response. Very often, an allergy develops not to ethyl alcohol, but is a consequence of its metabolism with other substances. According to doctors, most often the strongest typical immunopathological process is caused by wine, champagne and beer, which contains salicylic acid and yeast.
Allergic to cognac, whiskey, tequila and rum
How does it manifest itself, and what should we expect? An allergy to alcohol, the diagnosis and treatment of which will be described in detail below, most often occurs precisely on these alcoholic beverages. This is due to their complex composition, which contains a huge amount of substances, flavors and dyes. In addition, during the manufacturing process, they are aged in wooden barrels for a long period of time, in which many chemical reactions take place, and simple compounds turn into complex ones.
But it all depends on the quality of the product. For example, in the case of expensive vintage cognacs and rum, allergic reactions are much less common in people. This is due to the fact that 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 of all) can make itself 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 a snack, then the response will become more pronounced. To avoid this, doctors recommend careful approach to what you will drink alcohol under. 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 may be caused not by ethyl alcohol, but by something else.
Allergic reactions to liquors
How dangerous are they for the human body? These drinks are considered traditionally feminine, because they are not as strong as, for example, vodka or cognac. They are produced in two ways, in each of which alcohol allergy can manifest itself with varying degrees of severity. The worst is from liqueurs, the production of which is based on the long-term 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. Such drinks contain a huge number of ingredients, so most often it is not ethyl alcohol that acts as a pathogen, but various additives.
The second way is the distillation method. It allows you to get safer alcoholic beverages, however, the products are more expensive andonly a few can afford it.
Allergy to wine
What do you need to know about this? Many people are interested in the question of whether there may be an allergy to alcohol with a low strength, for example, wine. Indeed, many doctors recommend that their patients consume this drink of the gods little by little, explaining this by its high he alth benefits. As for the beneficial effect, it is undeniable, however, typical immunopathological processes are also quite common.
Skilled experts explain this by the fact that the composition of the wine contains ingredients such as:
- wormwood;
- citrus;
- melissa;
- muscat;
- cardamom;
- grapes;
- cinnamon;
- black elderberry.
All these cultures in themselves are very strong pathogens, and in combination with alcohol, their negative properties increase many times over. If a person has any other types of allergies, then the reactions to alcohol from the immune system will be especially violent during an exacerbation of chronic diseases. Drinking alcohol during these periods is very risky, because you can never be sure what the consequences will be.
Allergy to beer
What is she like? Natural and quality beer, which is loved by many people, is made from hops and m alt. The body does not react well to the last ingredient in the majority. In addition, some manufacturers, in order to reduce the cost ofproducts are added to the composition of beer synthetic components, 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 today enjoys great popularity among the beautiful half of humanity. Almost all types of sparkling wine, including vintage ones, contain artificial preservatives and sulfates that can cause a typical immunopathological reaction. At the same time, it belongs to the food type and does not have any serious consequences, and also does not pose a particular he alth hazard. This allergy to alcohol (the photos fully confirm this) is manifested by only one symptom - red spots on the face and neck. More serious clinical manifestations occur only in isolated cases, and only in those people who have any serious he alth problems.
Allergy to vodka
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. Everyone has different reactions to vodka. In our country, the majority normally perceives this drink, but representatives of other ethnic masses, for example Asians, can behave very badlyfeel even after drinking a small amount of alcohol.
Basic diagnostic methods
What makes them special? With 100% accuracy, only a specialized specialist can determine what exactly a person has: intolerance or a typical immunopathological process based on the results of certain laboratory tests after a complete 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 main cause of its development and determine the toxin.
Therefore, if you have any suspicions of he alth problems when drinking alcohol, you should contact an immunologist or an allergist. The doctor will conduct an oral interview and a complete examination of the patient, after which, based on the data obtained, he will prescribe suitable laboratory tests. If the samples are negative, then there is no allergy, and it's all about individual intolerance. In this case, you should completely stop drinking 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 to drinking adult drinks.
In addition, doctors advise the following:
- follow 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;
- classessports;
- daily drinking plenty of fluids.
All these recommendations allow you to 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 based on the patient's he alth condition and characteristics of his body, but most often qualified doctors prescribe the following:
- "Polyphepan" - promotes the elimination of toxins and general cleansing of the body.
- "Essliver" - improves liver function and reduces inflammation.
- Activated carbon.
- "Adrenaline" - improves the functioning of the cardiovascular system.
- Glucose-containing drugs - normalize blood pressure and metabolic processes.
If you are interested in how to treat an allergy to alcohol, then it is not recommended to self-medicate, since taking any medication without first consulting an experienced doctor can be dangerous to he alth and life. They can significantly aggravate the patient's well-being and lead to serious complications, some of which often end in death.
What to do before the ambulance arrives?
Medicated treatments we've covered, but how do you treat an allergy to alcohol and what to do until the ambulance arrives? If the symptoms appear in an acute form, then any delay cancost you your life, so it's 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 of allergies.
- Use an inhaler for severe shortness of breath.
- Drink diuretics that help reduce intoxication.
- Take activated charcoal after about half an hour.
If, after the above actions, the allergy to alcohol does not recede even a little, then this may indicate a very complex form of it. In this case, you won’t be able to do anything else on your own, so it’s best to wait for the doctors to perform all the necessary procedures.
How to minimize the chances of allergies when drinking alcoholic beverages?
A very common case faced by a huge number of people is an allergy to alcohol after encoding. This is a completely normal reaction of the body after a long pause, and if you encounter it, it does not mean at all that you will never be able to drink again. There are certain tips that will help you reduce the risk of a typical immunopathological process.
Main among them are the following recommendations:
- If you plan to go to a holiday where there will be a plentiful table, then about an hour before leaving the house, drink a cupstrong coffee without sugar, then make a cocktail of gin and tonic. It contains quinine, which improves the functioning of the digestive system, which will be much easier to cope with alcohol. And in 15 minutes, take one Mezim Forte tablet.
- Try to drink more natural and light drinks, such as vodka, avoiding cognac and tequila, which are very high in harmful impurities.
- If you drink whiskey, then it is better to refuse to eat food. Exceptions may include pure dark chocolate, fruits, seafood and cheese.
- If the main alcoholic drink at the celebration is vodka, then ask them to serve sauerkraut with it. This dish is also great for beer, as strange as it sounds.
- Give preference to fresh vegetable salads and fruits. Avoid fatty fried foods, as they greatly 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 mix 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 thanmyth.
Whether you raise or lower the degree, it does not matter to your he alth at all. The only difference is that mixing alcohol increases the load on the liver, which has to produce more of the various enzymes responsible for neutralizing alcohol. In addition, if during the feast you become allergic to alcohol, then 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 that can be fraught with various negative consequences. Therefore, faced with it, you need to go to the hospital for quality treatment. In general, in order to never encounter this problem, doctors advise to adhere to a sense of proportion and not to abuse alcoholic beverages.
