Allergy to alcohol- a state of increased sensitivity to ethanol (ethyl alcohol). It develops with the repeated influence of the allergen - alcohol on the human body. Relatively infrequent phenomenon. In general, an allergy is a high sensitivity of the body to any specific substances. In the composition of alcoholic beverages, in addition to the proportion of ethanol, includes other substances: hops, yeast, dyes, flavors, preservatives and others. Often, allergic reactions can cause dyes, flavors and preservatives.
Alcohol allergy can be inherited or acquired. It happens that the relatives of a person on the maternal or paternal line, there was an allergy to alcohol, which was expressed in nausea, vomiting, various kinds of rashes on the skin and spots. Manifestations of allergies varied - from a mild rhinitis and lachrymation to severe anaphylactic shock. The latter is very dangerous, as a rule, it ends with a lethal outcome!
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How does the alcohol allergy manifest?
Acquired allergy to alcohol often appears after drinking alcoholic beverages with a lot of "chemistry" - artificial substances. Also, the severity of the allergy varies from mild to very severe.
If you only drink on holidays, you can certainly not pay attention to red spots and rashes on the face, hands, neck. Justify it with errors in nutrition. But, if there is noise in the head, pain, weakness, lowering of blood pressure, then this is a serious allergic reaction to alcohol and other components of drinks.
For example, sparkling varieties of wine - champagne, includes in its composition sulfurous anhydride. This chemical is used as a stabilizer of the initial wort in the production of wine and comes from the grapes after processing. These sulfur compounds can cause severe allergies.
For the cultivation of grape and other crops, pesticides are now widely used. Pesticides and the like can also act as allergens.
What is it dangerous?
None of us can, with certainty, say with certainty that we certainly will not have any allergies. Because allergic reactions are unpredictable. It also happens: a person worked almost all his life at the winery production, he prepared alcoholic beverages, tasted them, and then - he had to change the industry and his profession.
Symptoms of alcohol allergy
Consider the symptoms of an obvious allergy to alcohol. After consuming alcoholic beverages, a person has signs:
- redness of the skin in the face, hands and trunk;
- nauseating, vomiting, the appearance of pain above the navel;
- red spots on the face, neck and all over the body, with peeling and dry skin, which can lead to the appearance of cracks in the skin (as with diathesis or dermatitis);
- itching of the skin;
- coryza;
- swelling of the face and eyelids;
- unusually fast intoxication;
- pain in the head with a sensation of blood rush and noise (ringing) in the ears;
- shortness of breath, suffocation - difficulty breathing;
- increased or decreased blood pressure;
- change in body temperature - increase;
- palpitation.
If the allergy to alcohol initially manifests itself not brightly - in the form of a rash on the skin, the appearance of red spots, but the person still "sins." Then, anyway, then, more threatening symptoms and signs of alcoholic allergy in the form of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, feelings of anxiety and fear of death, even fainting and loss of consciousness will join.
Treatment of alcohol allergy
In one "wonderful" moment, unexpectedly, the reception of alcohol can be provoked:
- attack of bronchial spasm (inability to inhale and exhale),
- Quincke's edema (mechanical swelling of the mucous larynx and tongue blocks the flow of air in the throat),
- a sudden drop in blood pressure - anaphylaxis (anaphylactic shock).
All these conditions are so dangerous that almost always, without rendering urgent and qualified help in the next minutes (even seconds) can lead to the death of a person.
Of course, the state of allergy to alcohol is not a frequent occurrence, but much more often allergies to other artificial components of alcoholic beverages. Patients - allergic people know for themselves. They always have desensitizing preparations ready: suprastin, ketotifen, inhalers, prednisolone. And it's not only sick, but also healthy (yet) does not prevent something to think about, be always on the alert and at least sometimes take care of your own health!
