Alcohol intolerance means it’s difficult for your body to break down (metabolize) alcohol. This allows toxins to build up, resulting in facial flushing and other alcohol intolerance symptoms. The good news is that alcohol intolerance isn’t too much of a concern. The bad news is that you can’t really do much about it, or that unwelcome nasal congestion that comes along with it, aside from just not drinking alcohol.

Why am I Suddenly Sensitive to Alcohol?

This enzyme deficiency is most common in people of East Asian descent. drug addiction treatment Avoid the beverage or beverages that seem to cause your reaction until your doctor’s appointment. If you do drink a beverage that causes a mild reaction, over-the-counter antihistamines may help relieve symptoms. For a more severe reaction—severe skin reaction, weak pulse, vomiting, or trouble breathing—seek emergency help right away.

Medical Professionals

True alcohol allergy (versus an allergic reaction to ingredients in alcoholic drinks) is very rare. What’s more concerning, however, is that some medications can lead to uncomfortable (even dangerous) side effects when combined with alcohol. In addition, various ingredients found in alcoholic beverages have the potential to trigger an allergic reaction in some people. On top of those reasons, the individual may have an alcohol intolerance. An alcohol intolerance is commonly mistaken for an alcohol allergy and is often misdiagnosed. If your body is unable to remove acetaldehyde from the body, symptoms like congestion, flushing, headaches, and more can persist.

• You might try less hopped beers so a Helles Lager vs an IPA and see if one makes you more or less stuffy.
• It’s the result of hereditary genes that cause a deficiency in the enzyme ALDH2.
• In fact, certain unhealthy microbes also feed off of alcohol1, making cravings more irresistible to those of us who regularly imbibe.
• And since it affects your genes, once you inherit it, you’re stuck with it.

Prevention

• In some cases, reactions can be triggered by a true allergy to a grain such as corn, wheat or rye or to another substance in alcoholic beverages.
• Red wine can cause congestion due to its histamine content, which is a naturally occurring chemical that triggers inflammation in the body.
• If you think you may be allergic to wine, it’s important to see a doctor so that they can confirm the diagnosis and recommend the best treatment plan.
• Molly hasn’t cut out alcohol completely, but she does do dry months to give her body a break.

There are a few things that you can do to help prevent sinus and asthma symptoms after drinking alcohol. Firstly, it is important to be aware of your triggers and try to avoid them if possible. If you know that certain types of alcohol trigger your symptoms, then it is best to avoid those altogether. Unfortunately, nothing can prevent reactions to alcohol or ingredients in alcoholic beverages. To avoid a reaction, avoid alcohol or the particular substance that causes your reaction.

Going to AA can sometimes feel like the only path to recovery — but it isn’t. A reader asks about different ways of thinking about substance use treatment that have developed since AA was founded in 1935. Because a large portion of our body’s immune cells are created in the gut, an imbalance in the gut microbiome can make you more likely to have a weakened immune response4.

• In rare instances, an unpleasant reaction to alcohol can be a sign of a serious underlying health problem that requires diagnosis and treatment.
• The chemicals present in alcoholic beverages may contribute to nasal congestion or a runny nose.
• This happens because body is not able to tolerate the alcohol which circulates in blood.
• You head out with friends, expecting the usual fun night, but instead, one drink leaves you flushed, nauseous, or struggling to breathe.
• It might also be that their experiences of the menopausal transition or aging are different.

How to get a better night’s sleep

You can also try taking an over-the-counter antihistamine before drinking red wine. If you’re like me, you enjoy a nice glass of red wine every now and then. But have you ever wondered sneezing after drinking alcohol why it sometimes makes you feel congested? In this video, we take a look at why red wine can cause congestion and some ways to prevent it.