Foam disease. Is it possible to be allergic to beer?

Allergy to beer exists. It manifests itself in many people with unpleasant symptoms after drinking a foamy drink. The reaction is observed immediately or after a while. Therefore, at the first manifestations, it is necessary to abandon beer in order to avoid serious health problems.

Why Beer Allergy Occurs

An allergy is a negative response of the body to a specific stimulus. With intolerance to beer, a negative reaction can be caused by any component in the composition of the drink. Symptoms of the problem are often confused with other diseases. They appear suddenly or over several years of drinking alcohol.

A person may experience hypersensitivity to various components:

Malt. Allergies to barley derivatives are more common than to other ingredients. During brewing, grains are soaked to produce sprouts. They contain an increased amount of LTP protein, which is an allergen for some people. Often, with pollen sensitization, a negative reaction to malt is also noted. Patients suffer from various symptoms, from skin rashes to swelling of the tongue.
Hops, which is one of the main components of beer. Because of it, the drink has a specific bitterness. The plant is also found in pain relievers and sedatives. With sensitivity to hops, beer and such drugs should be abandoned. Under their influence, serious disorders sometimes occur in the body, accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and asthma attacks. This is due to the presence in the plant of myrcene, a substance that is a strong allergen.
Yeast, which provides the fermentation reaction. These substances are unicellular fungi containing specific proteins. They can provoke a negative immune response in the form of a contact allergy. In this case, there are problems with the gastrointestinal tract, breathing and other symptoms.

Sensitization can be caused by corn, wheat, rice present in some types of beer. The reaction is provoked by vegetable proteins: gluten, hordein, avenin.

Allergy occurs when intolerance to ethyl alcohol. A strong immune response can be triggered by both soft and strong drinks. The severity of the manifestations of an allergy to alcohol depends on the individual characteristics of the body.

The reason for the reaction is sometimes hidden in the special processing of the beer. During it, the active LTP protein is released. The immune system perceives it as something foreign and tries to eliminate it.

Some growers use chemicals to speed up maturation. They speed up fermentation processes, but worsen the quality of the drink and the health of those who consume it.

An allergic reaction is also provoked by antioxidants, preservatives, dyes, flavors, opacifiers, hop substitutes. Such a rich composition is quite capable of causing a negative immune response.

The risk of developing a problem increases under the influence of:

impaired tolerance of immune cells to allergens;
genetic predisposition;
weakening of the immune system;
regulatory disorders in the digestive tract.

With the entry of the allergen into the stomach, immunoglobulins A begin to be produced. With tolerance to foreign substances, repeated entry of the antigen into the blood does not cause a reaction. But with increased sensitivity, the body reacts sharply. The speed of the immune response depends on individual characteristics.

Does the type of beer matter?

Whether there can be an allergy to beer is of interest to many, since this drink is quite popular. Due to the different composition, there may be intolerance to a certain type of foam.

For unfiltered

This type of beer is not subjected to additional processing. It is not filtered, pasteurized or preserved. It also consists of malt, hops and brewer's yeast. Due to the lack of processing, fermentation processes do not stop, so the drink is called alive. If negative symptoms appear after consumption, then this indicates an allergy to cereal pollen.

It is important to remember that this beer has a short shelf life, so when purchasing unfiltered with a long shelf life, you should be aware that it contains foreign substances that can also cause allergies.

For non-alcoholic

For the manufacture of the drink, a special technology is used to stop fermentation, when it is stopped using low temperatures.

Special yeasts are used that do not ferment maltose into alcohol, which can act as an allergen. It contains a lot of preservatives and food additives.

For other types

There is also bottled and draft beer. It does not have any special differences, but the quality, composition and quantity of additives are different.

With intolerance to wheat beer, the reason is associated with the presence of wheat in the malt, that is, its germinated grains.

The dark foamy variety has a longer germination period for barley malt, it is also subjected to roasting and additional processing. It contains more hops than other types.

Gluten-free beer continues to be popular. To create it, cereals that do not contain gluten are used. It's rice, corn. Therefore, an allergy occurs if there is a sensitization to these cereals.

Expired beer is a health hazard. The use of an expired product is accompanied by a number of reactions from the gastrointestinal tract, which are not allergies. Therefore, such drinks should be avoided.

How does it manifest

You need to know how an allergy to beer manifests itself in order to notice the problem in time and treat it.

For each person, sensitization to individual components of a foamy drink can have different manifestations. There are also common signs. For anyone with allergies:

there is discomfort on the skin of the face, manifested in tingling;
swelling of the mucous membrane of the oral cavity, lips, tongue;
dizzy;
cough appears.

But certain ingredients also have specific reactions. With intolerance to hops, patients suffer from:

rhinitis (swelling of the nasopharyngeal region is due to the fact that beer has vasodilating properties);
conjunctivitis and lacrimation;
asthma attack;
skin rash and severe itching;
heartburn;
diarrhea and nausea;
soreness in the stomach.

Yeast allergy also has a similar clinical picture. Patients complain of choking, vomiting, colic, watery eyes.

If the immune system reacts severely to alcohol, then the person suffers from congestion in the nasopharynx, redness of the skin, and additionally, there may be:

rapid onset of intoxication;
the appearance of microcracks, ulcers and peeling on the skin;
swelling of the upper body;
increased blood pressure and temperature;
increase in heart rate;
exacerbation of gastritis.

Allergy to beer symptoms in adults are different. At the first appearance of discomfort, you should stop using foam and visit a doctor to confirm the diagnosis and prescribe treatment.

Treatment

If, after using the foam, a negative reaction on the skin appears or the state of health worsens, you should not wait until the condition normalizes on its own. To stop the attack, the following methods are used:

They take an enterosorbent that binds and removes the allergen from the gastrointestinal tract. Sorbent properties have drugs like Smecta, Enterosgel, Polysorb, Filtrum.
Antihistamines are used. They are an important part of antiallergic treatment. Preference is given to drugs of the second and third generation, as they cause fewer adverse reactions. Usually, therapy is carried out with the help of Loratadine, Cetrin, Claritin and others.
For skin reactions, itching, redness, it is recommended to use gels, creams and ointments.

If an allergy to beer has appeared on the face and other parts of the body, then it is necessary to conduct tests to identify a specific allergen. Sensitization of different varieties may occur, therefore, with allergies, all variants of the drink are not always prohibited.

Completely abandon the foam should be in case of hypersensitivity to hops, yeast, malt. Sometimes, the reaction is associated with the poor quality of the product, the use of chemicals in the composition, or a violation of the production technology. In such situations, you should turn to a natural product that contains a minimum amount of harmful and dangerous chemicals.

Allergy is a rather unpleasant disease. At the first manifestations, it is necessary to visit an allergist and be more attentive to products with a similar composition.

If changing the variety and choosing a quality drink did not help to cope with the problem, then it should be completely abandoned. If the allergen regularly affects the body, this will lead to Quincke's edema, anaphylactic shock. These conditions are life-threatening and require urgent medical attention.

Prevention

To prevent an allergic reaction, you must:

Give preference to drinks with a minimum content of preservatives, food additives, dyes and flavor enhancers.
Pay attention to the expiration date. Safer beer with a short storage period. For the manufacture of long-lasting drinks, technologies are used that increase their allergenicity. This will also avoid the consequences of eating expired products.
Do not drink different types of beer on the same day. In the event of an allergy, it will be easier to determine its cause.
Avoid cross allergens. If you are hypersensitive to wheat, do not drink wheat beer. If there is an allergy to cereals, then the composition should be studied very carefully so that an immune reaction does not occur.

Modern physicians annually diagnose more and more cases of various allergic reactions. Allergy is a real misfortune of our time, according to immunologists, by 2020 almost half of the population in Russia will be struggling with some form of pathology. The reaction can manifest itself on dust, wool, food, pollen, almost any substance that is part of a drink or food can provoke unpleasant symptoms.

And can there be an allergy to beer, because fragrant foam is one of the most beloved alcoholic products. Unfortunately, such cases occur quite often. Why does such a reaction appear, how to identify the symptoms and what to do to resolve the problem? Let's talk about it.

Beer is often the cause of allergic reactions.

An allergic reaction is an abnormal response of the body. All unpleasant symptoms occur due to inadequate activity of the immune system (immunity begins to show hypersensitivity to the irritant). In such a situation, completely peaceful compounds begin to be perceived by the immune system as potentially dangerous.

An irritant (allergen), which becomes the culprit in the development of a number of painful physiological and biochemical reactions, can be absolutely any substance, even familiar to the body for a long time.

Beer is also no exception, and in some people this intoxicating drink causes a violent reaction. To find out how an allergy to beer manifests itself, you need to know the components of intoxicating beer, because it is they that lead to the appearance of an abnormal sensitivity of the body:

hop;
dyes;
preservatives;
flavors;
Brewer's yeast;
barley malt;
rye or wheat.

Causes of an allergic reaction to beer

Why do some people's immune system suddenly begin to react abnormally to a once-favorite drink? The real culprits of beer allergies are still poorly understood. It has been established that an abnormal reaction occurs due to a whole range of factors. One of the most common is heredity (congenital hypersensitivity of the immune system) and long-term living in poor environmental conditions.

Allergies are caused by an inappropriate reaction of the body to allergens.

Also, the causes of beer allergy in adults include the following situations:

Excessive indulgence in beer.
Atopy. A group of diseases of an allergic nature: diathesis, dermatitis, rhinitis, bronchial asthma.
hereditary predisposition. If the next of kin has any kind of allergy.
celiac disease Or celiac disease. This disease is based on the existing intolerance to gluten (cereal protein).

It has been established that most often the allergy to foam is manifested against the background of hypersusceptibility to cereals. The body may not respond adequately to the use of intoxicating if it is hypersensitive to:

rye pollen;
weed cereals;
flowering wheat.

Allergy to beer components

Admirers and connoisseurs of fragrant foam should be wary. Doctors are increasingly diagnosing an allergy to invigorating alcohol. A directly abnormal reaction occurs to any component (one or more) of the intoxicating one.

Hop

It is this additive that gives beer a specific and adored by many light bitterness. Hop belongs to the plants of the mulberry series and is one of the main elements in the production of foam.

Hops are actively used in the manufacture of many medicines. Based on it, effective sedative and analgesic medicines are made.

Hop cones very often cause allergies

If a person has this kind of hypersensitivity, the composition of drugs should be especially carefully studied, because hops can cause numerous health problems. An allergy to this component manifests itself in the form of:

vomiting;
severe nausea;
painful cough;
profuse runny nose;
asthma attacks;
shortness of breath and respiratory depression.

The main culprit of such an allergy is myrcene. It is a bioactive compound found in the plant's essential oils. Myrcene is a very strong and extremely dangerous allergen.

Malt

Or malt hops, which are extracted from barley. In technological beer production, barley is soaked to obtain sprouts (they are used in the manufacture of the drink). Barley sprouts are rich in the protein derivative LPT, which becomes an allergen. It has been observed that people who are allergic to pollen almost always react to malt.

Malt becomes another potential allergen

Allergy to malt hops can present with symptoms ranging from mild hives to severe angioedema.

Yeast

The yeast component is necessary in beer technology to obtain fermentation processes. Yeast is a single-celled fungus, which includes many specific protein compounds that are allergic in nature. An allergy to brewer's yeast in its symptoms is similar to reactions from food irritants:

jumps in blood pressure;
lacrimation;
nausea and vomiting;
intestinal colic;
disorders of the digestive tract;
skin rashes on the face and body;
respiratory depression (feeling of suffocation).

Allergies can also be caused by brewer's yeast.

Other components

The cause of an allergic reaction sometimes becomes other components that make up the hop. These include vegetable proteins that are present in cereals and cause an inadequate immune response. These are the following proteins:

avenin (oats);
zein (corn);
hordein (barley);
gluten (rye, wheat).

ethanol

In very frequent cases, allergic reactions to foam are provoked by the presence of ethyl alcohol in the composition. Moreover, even despite the fact that the ethanol content in beer is low, even a minimal degree of the drink and a small portion of alcohol can provoke allergies.

Ethyl alcohol, which is part of beer, can provoke an allergy.

Alcohol intolerance can be congenital or develop over time. Moreover, acquired sensitivity to ethanol is formed over the years.

The clinical picture of this allergic reaction is similar to the food type. The brightness and severity of the clinical picture is different and each person can manifest itself in different ways. The most common symptoms are:

jumps in blood pressure;
tachycardia;
nasal congestion;
temperature increase;
rapid intoxication;
hyperemia (reddening of the skin);
swelling of the face and upper body;
peeling and dryness of the epidermis (the appearance of numerous wounds and cracks).

Allergy to treatment

In the production of aromatic foam, all components used are specially processed, and various chemical additives are used. It is through processing that the specific barley protein LTP is released, which is a strong allergen.

Allergies are caused by such components of the intoxicating drink as:

dyes;
opacifiers;
preservatives;
antioxidants;
stabilizers;
flavors;
hop substitutes.

Some of these components allow you to extend the shelf life of beer, others improve fermentation processes and speed up the aging time of the drink, giving it a brighter taste and color. But these substances provoke a powerful response of the immune system and the development of a strong allergic reaction.

Allergy to beer: symptoms, photo

This type of abnormal manifestation of the body is dangerous due to the individuality of manifestations. Allergies can develop differently for each person.. And sometimes it develops even after one small glass of foam. Beer allergy manifests itself in various ways.

Most often, allergies to beer drinks are in the form of urticaria and Quincke's edema.

Manifestation of urticaria

Urticaria is a generalized name for allergic skin manifestations in the form of itchy blisters. They can be bright red or pale pink. Their characteristic feature is the speed of appearances and the suddenness of disappearances. It is noticed that the blister with urticaria never stays on the skin for more than 2 hours. New formations appear already in new places. Itchy blisters can disturb the patient for up to 2-3 days.

One of the manifestations of beer allergy is hives.

Quincke's edema

This type of allergy is considered one of the most dangerous. This is a rapidly developing skin swelling that affects the mucous and subcutaneous fat tissue. With the development of beer allergy, Quincke's edema occurs literally a few minutes after drinking alcohol and is usually localized in the facial region, affecting the nose, lips and oral cavity.

How is Quincke's edema manifested?

With Quincke's edema, the development of swelling of the tongue is most dangerous. In such a situation, without assistance, the victim may suffocate and die.

Other manifestations of beer allergy

In addition to Quincke's edema and urticaria, allergic reactions to beer can be manifested by other symptoms. Namely, in the form of the following reactions:

rhinitis (sneezing, runny nose, nasal congestion, cough);
asthma (shortness of breath and respiratory depression, dizziness);
conjunctivitis (redness and swelling of the eyes, itching, tingling);
gastrointestinal manifestations (nausea, abdominal pain, heartburn, diarrhea).

Diagnosis of beer allergy

Diagnosing an allergy that is caused specifically by beer is quite difficult. After all, all the existing symptoms may indicate a number of other, no less dangerous problems. To clarify and identify such an allergy, studies are carried out aimed at identifying specific immunoglobulins in the body (blood is taken from a vein for analysis).

The main symptoms of alcohol allergy

Recently, allergists have noted an increase in diagnosed cases of allergy to beer drinks. Specialists attribute such a jump to the increase in the use by beer producers of preservatives, synthetic additives and flavorings that are toxic to the body (in this case, a person experiences allergic manifestations to a particular type of beer).

The difficulty of diagnosing the problem lies in the fact that an allergy can appear quite suddenly, even in an avid beer lover who has been fond of foam for many years.

How to alleviate the condition

It is almost impossible to completely eliminate an existing allergy. To alleviate the condition of the victim, various antihistamines are used. Prescribe the medicine in each case individually. The doctor takes into account the initial state of health, the brightness of the allergic manifestation and the age of the patient.

The most effective means of relieving allergic manifestations include medicines such as:

Zodak;
Erius;
Zyrtec;
Cetrin;
Claritin;
Diazolin;
Rupatadine;
Suprastin;
Levocyterizin;
Allegra (or Telfast).

Self-treatment is highly discouraged, because each antihistamine has a number of contraindications. Illiterate treatment can significantly worsen the situation. Moreover, beer will have to be abandoned, at least for the duration of therapy (by the way, for the duration of treatment, products that are similar in composition to beer are also excluded from the menu):

kvass;
bakery;
pasta;
sparkling and sweet wines.

As soon as the allergy symptoms are relieved, it will be better to change the brand of the drink and consume the foam in a strictly limited amount. And remember that treating beer allergies is a must. If no action is taken, then an allergy that has arisen once will manifest itself constantly, becoming more and more difficult with each attack.

Allergy - this term has been encountered by an increasing number of people in recent decades.

Allergies to house dust, animal dander, plant pollen, a variety of food products .... Is it possible to be allergic to beer?

The concept of allergy is quite broad, and includes a variety of symptoms that occur as a result of an incorrect, too active response of the immune system (pathological sensitivity or hypersensitivity), in which ordinary and completely safe substances begin to be perceived by the body as harmful. Against these substances (allergens), a cascade of biochemical and physiological reactions is launched.

In principle, an allergy can occur to any product or substance, and beer is no exception.

And as allergens in this type of hypersensitivity, any of the ingredients of the foamy drink can act - barley malt, hops, rye, wheat, yeast, dyes, flavors, preservatives, etc.

Causes of beer allergy

The causes of allergies are still not well understood. Its development is determined by a whole group of factors, among which the leading role is given to heredity (innate characteristics of the immune response) and unfavorable ecology (human contact with a large number of chemicals).

The main causes of beer allergies include:

1. Hereditary predisposition to allergies - any kind of allergic reactions in the next of kin.

2. Tendency to atopy - diathesis in childhood, atopic dermatitis, bronchial asthma, and other forms of hypersensitivity. In terms of the formation of an allergy to beer, the most unfavorable is the presence of sensitization (hypersensitivity) to cereals, and, in particular, to barley or rye. For example, allergies to beer often appear in people with seasonal rhinitis due to hypersensitivity to pollen from rye, wheat, and weeds (oatmeal).

3. Gluten enteropathy (celiac disease) - intolerance, can cause allergic and pseudo-allergic reactions to beer.

4. Abuse of beer.

Beer Allergy Symptoms

Allergy manifests itself in a variety of ways. Most often it passes in the form of urticaria or Quincke's edema.

Hives is a skin rash - red or bright pink itchy blisters that have a characteristic feature - they quickly appear and also quickly disappear. The same blister with urticaria never lasts more than two hours, but fresh elements can pour out in waves, in new places for another 1-2 days.

Quincke's edema- This is a rapidly developing swelling of the skin, mucous membranes, subcutaneous fat. When allergic to beer, the symptoms of Quincke's edema occur within a few minutes after drinking the drink, and are usually localized on the face (lips, nose) and in the oral cavity. Swelling of the tongue is extremely dangerous, which, without timely assistance, can lead to suffocation and death of the patient.

In addition to urticaria and Quincke's edema, other types of reactions are possible with beer allergy:

allergic conjunctivitis - redness, swelling and itching of the eyelids;

allergic rhinitis - nasal congestion, continuous sneezing, itchy nose;

an attack of bronchial asthma - shortness of breath with difficulty exhaling;

gastrointestinal allergy - spastic pain in the abdomen, diarrhea after drinking high-quality (not expired) beer.

It should be noted that in addition to true allergic reactions due to the increased sensitivity of the body to an allergen, when drinking beer, pseudo-allergic reactions are possible, which have a completely different origin, but similar symptoms.

So, redness of the face and nasal congestion that appear after drinking beer are often explained by allergies. However, in fact, they are caused by the influence of ethanol, which has the property of dilating blood vessels.

Diagnostics

A single appearance of symptoms resembling an allergy requires additional examination.

To clarify the cause-significant allergens, the determination of specific immunoglobulins is most often used, taking blood from a vein to a panel of allergens (cereals, yeast, the most common dyes and flavors).

What to do if you are allergic to beer?

If you experience typical allergy symptoms after drinking beer, you should seek medical help, as even a mild reaction can quickly develop into swelling of the larynx, tongue, or lead to a drop in blood pressure.

Before the doctor arrives, you must:

calm down - nervous excitement aggravates symptoms, leading to palpitations and shortness of breath;

wash the stomach (drink 0.5 liters of cool water and provoke vomiting);

take sorbents (smecta, filtrum, polysorb, activated carbon, polyphepan, enterosgel);

take orally or inject an antihistamine (suprastin, tavegil, pipolfen).

After the examination, the doctor decides on hospitalization (not always required) and provides assistance: injects suprastin or another antihistamine drug, if necessary, injects a hormonal drug (prednisolone), provides inhalation with berodual (with swelling of the larynx, with an attack of bronchial asthma).

case from practice

A teenager, a girl of 16 years old, for the first time bought with a friend flavored (with lime) beer. Prior to this incident, she had consumed only ordinary light beer several times.

10 minutes after taking the drink, she felt fullness and itching in the fingers, found a rapidly growing swelling of the hands and fingers. She called an ambulance. An allergy to a flavoring in the form of Quincke's edema was suggested, injections of suprastin and prednisolone were made.

5 minutes after the injection, the edema began to subside. The girl refused the proposed hospitalization, recommended taking Polysorb and a course for 2 days, Zyrtec or Claritin for a course of 5 days and examination by an allergist.

A 27-year-old man drank beer with friends and a girlfriend. During the evening, he quarreled with his girlfriend, and against the background of continued drinking of beer, he noted an attack of heartbeat, suffocation, and felt a rush of blood to his face. I called an ambulance, assuming I was allergic to beer.

After examining data for allergies, it was not revealed - the heart rate is moderately accelerated (by 20% compared to the age norm), there are no wheezing when listening to light wheezing (hence, there is no bronchial obstruction and an asthma attack).

A neurotic reaction is suspected, provoked by a quarrel with a girl and enhanced by alcohol intake. A conversation was held with the patient, during which he calmed down and felt better.

The love of a foamy drink can turn into serious health problems.

Allergies can appear immediately or after a while. An instant response to an alcoholic drink allows you to immediately determine what the reaction has developed.

If a negative reaction manifested itself over time, it is quite difficult to determine the source of the problems.

An allergy is a strong negative reaction of the body to some external irritant.

In the case of beer, the reaction may be due to hypersensitivity to one or more components of the drink.

Symptoms of sensitization can sometimes be confused with manifestations of other diseases. The onset of the disease is either violent or gradual.

The disease can begin suddenly, after several years of drinking beer.

Any beer component can call it:

malt hops

The most common cause of beer allergy is malt, a derivative of barley.

Barley in brewing and kvass production is soaked to get seedlings. They contain a very high content of a specific LPT protein, which often causes a reaction in people predisposed to this.

In addition, pollen-sensitized patients very often react to malted barley.

Moreover, the spectrum of manifestations can be very wide: from skin urticaria to swelling of the tongue.

Hops are considered no less allergenic, that is, capable of causing a reaction.

This mulberry plant is one of the main elements of beer production. It is the hops that give the drink a specific bitterness.

The plant is widely used in pharmaceuticals, often included in the composition of painkillers and sedatives.

If sensitivity to hops is found in the composition of beer, such preparations should be used with extreme caution, and if possible, avoided altogether.

Hops can cause serious health problems. Most often it manifests itself as nausea, vomiting, although there are more formidable appearances up to asthmatic attacks.

The culprit is myrcene, a substance found in the essential oils of hops.

Myrcene is a very strong allergen, and the human body reacts very badly to it.

Due to the yeast in the beer, the fermentation reaction takes place. In fact, yeast are unicellular fungi that contain specific proteins in their composition.

They cause a negative immune response of the human body - sensitization of the first type, that is, contact.

The reaction to yeast is similar to the general symptoms of the food form.

Most often appear:

intestinal and stomach problems;
breathing difficulties;
lacrimation;
there were cases of increased pressure, skin problems.

Other components

If the beer contains additional components: corn, wheat, rice, they can also be the cause of a sensitization debut.

The reason for the reaction is the vegetable proteins inherent in these crops.

Substances-allergens to which the immune system reacts:

gluten (wheat and rye);
hordein (barley);
avenin (oats);
zein (corn);
ori s1 (Fig.).

Allergy to alcohol is caused primarily by hypersensitivity to ethyl alcohol.

The amount of this substance in alcohol is unimportant: both light beer and strong vodka cause an equally strong immune response.

Alcohol intolerance can be either congenital or acquired.

Moreover, if the first appears immediately, then the second can take years to form.

Symptoms of the disease are similar to the typical food form.

The degree of manifestation is individual.

Processing result

Special processing of beer components may cause a reaction. In particular, this is true for barley - the basis for making malt.

The special processing that the barley grain undergoes releases the active protein LTP.

It is his cells of the immune system that are most often perceived as foreign and try to destroy.

To speed up the maturation of beer, unscrupulous producers use chemical enzymes. They speed up the fermentation process, but have an extremely negative impact not only on the quality of the product, but also on the health of consumers.

In addition to enzyme accelerators, the following substances that provoke an immune response are introduced into beer:

antioxidants;
preservatives;
stabilizers;
dyes;
flavors;
opacifiers;
hop substitutes.

After such processing of raw materials, it is not surprising that a strong immune response can develop to beer. Food chemicals can provoke a strong reaction and cause a serious attack.

The sequence of reaction development, or pathogenesis, is closely related to many factors.

Experts identify the following factors that have a direct impact on the development of a food form, one of the forms of which is an allergy to beer:

hereditary predisposition;
violation of tolerance of cells of the immune system to substances-allergens;
decreased local or systemic immunity;
functional disorders of the digestive system.

When an allergen enters the gastrointestinal tract, cells of the immune system begin to produce IgA antibodies.

If the immune system remains tolerant to foreign substances, then when the antigen enters the bloodstream for the second time, the reaction does not occur.

Otherwise, sensitization occurs - an increase in sensitivity to the allergen, a painfully acute reaction to it.

Often, IgE antibodies are included in the process. Antigens enter through the intestinal mucosa, causing sensitization.

Immunoglobulins IgE, IgG cause an immediate immune response, manifested through gastrointestinal problems, skin reactions, anaphylactic manifestations.

Active biological substances are instantly released: histamine, serotonin, kinin and others.

It depends only on the individual characteristics of the organism how soon the reaction will manifest itself:

In a minute;
few hours;
or days.

Is there a difference between different types

Sensitization can manifest itself differently in different types of beer.

However, this is rather an exception to the rule, associated with individual intolerance to one or another component.

The fact is that the same components are used for the production of light and dark varieties of the drink.

The color depends on the malt processing procedure.

For a dark variety, barley is germinated longer, dried longer, and also roasted.

Therefore, if sensitization to some kind of beer is detected, then you should never risk your health and try another variety.

In any case, until it becomes clear to which component the body reacts so negatively.

This also applies to the so-called non-alcoholic beer, which is made from the same ingredients as regular beer.

Moreover. Very often, when sensitization to a popular foamy drink occurs, a negative reaction occurs to other products containing similar ingredients.

For example, people with hypersensitivity to beer are forbidden to drink champagne and kvass.

What are the causes of metal allergy? Details in the article.

Beer Allergy Symptoms

Sensitivity to different components of a beer drink can manifest itself in different ways.

Of course, there are general signs of sensitization to beer in general.:

discomfort on the skin of the face (most often tingling);
swelling of the oral mucosa: lips, tongue;
dizziness;
cough.

But there are also specific reactions to different ingredients of the drink.

Symptoms of hypersensitivity to hops are as follows:

rhinitis (swelling of the nasopharynx is associated with the vasodilating effect of beer);
lacrimation and conjunctivitis (swelling of the mucous membranes of the eyelids);
asthma attack;
urticaria (skin itching and rash);
heartburn;
diarrhea;
nausea;
stomach ache.

Yeast allergy symptoms are similar. This is a feeling of suffocation, vomiting, intestinal colic, watery eyelids.

Hypersensitivity to alcohol is characterized by nasal congestion and skin hyperemia (reddening of the skin), as well as additional symptoms:

rapid intoxication;
peeling of the skin with the appearance of microcracks and bleeding wounds;
swelling of the face and upper body;
increase in temperature and pressure;
tachycardia (rapid heartbeat);
exacerbation of gastritis.

When the first symptoms appear, you should immediately stop drinking and consult a doctor.

Video: Treatment methods

Identification

How to find out what exactly the reaction occurred to?

Only with the help of allergy tests. It is strictly forbidden to guess on your own why a negative allergic reaction has occurred, and even more so to experiment.

The fact is that sensitization with repeated penetration of the allergen into the blood can cause not a slow and weak, as in the initial contact, but a strong reaction.

The case can end with Quincke's edema and even death.

You can detect sensitization to cereals by doing skin tests.

Another option for identifying allergens is a laboratory blood test.

To identify sensitivity to yeast, malt, rice, they resort to an intradermal test.

Prevention

Are there ways to prevent? Unfortunately no.

Even if the allergy symptoms go away on their own, this does not mean that you can try drinking again.

Re-introduction of the allergen into the blood can cause a stronger response and become a health hazard.

Prevention is not possible here.

Except for the fact that with a diagnosed sensitization to a foamy drink, products containing hops, yeast, malt, cereals, rice should be abandoned.

The most common reaction is:

kvass;
yeast bread;
champagne;
pasta.

Is it worth it to treat

Beer allergy treatment is a must. Do not rely on self-healing.

After the first manifestation of symptoms, you should immediately go to the doctor.

For what? The fact is that sensitization can return after a few days or weeks, and in a much stronger and more dangerous form.

The doctor must determine the allergen by doing skin tests or taking a blood test.

Self-administration of antihistamines is dangerous due to the unpredictability of the result and the wrong treatment regimen. In addition, different tablets act differently on different groups of allergens.

In addition to tablets, you may need to use various creams, ointments, gel-based hormonal preparations.

Their selection for the patient should also be handled only by a doctor.

What are the symptoms of a mold allergy? The answer is here.

How is iodine allergy manifested? Details below.

If a sensitization to beer is detected, the use of the drink should be completely abandoned.

True, only if hypersensitivity to the main components is detected:

It happens that an allergy occurs to a low-quality product.

If the manufacturer uses chemicals or violates the production technology, a hypersensitivity reaction may occur for this very reason.

In this case, you need to change the brand of beer, giving preference to a natural product with a minimum content of harmful and dangerous chemicals.

Allergy to beer is a rather unpleasant disease. It requires mandatory treatment by an allergist and careful attention to other foods with a similar composition.

Allergy to beer: symptoms. How much beer can you drink a day? Antihistamines: list

Currently, a significant increase in the number of patients suffering from allergic reactions is recorded. Absolutely any substance contained in food and drinks can provoke the development of pathology. Can you be allergic to beer? Such cases are quite common. Let us consider in more detail the symptoms of an allergy to an intoxicating drink and ways to resolve the problem.

Allergy - what is it?

Before you start fighting the disease, you should understand what it is. The term "allergy" refers to an inadequate reaction of the immune system of the human body to the effects of any substance. The latter are called allergens. Allergy symptoms vary depending on the type of ailment.

It is impossible to completely overcome allergies. To alleviate the condition, patients have to take antihistamines regularly. The list of such medicines is quite wide. Currently, four generations of drugs are available on the market that can block the action of free histamine. The drugs differ in the number of side effects, the duration of the effect, the presence of sedative properties.

Causes of beer allergy

Drink lovers should be on the lookout. Increasingly, cases of allergic reactions after drinking beer are recorded. Both one and several components that make up the drink can provoke such a pathological phenomenon:

Hops are one of the main ingredients of the foamy drink, which gives it a slight bitterness. The strongest allergen is myrcene, a substance contained in the essential oil of the plant.
Malt is another important product that is prepared by soaking barley grains. If you have an allergy to cereals or plant pollen, you may well develop an allergy to beer.
Yeast is a necessary component for the fermentation of the product. You should not drink beer if you are intolerant to yeast in food.

Nowadays it is quite difficult to find natural beer. Most manufacturers add unhealthy ingredients to the drink: dyes, flavors, flavor enhancers. It is these components that can provoke an allergic reaction.

How much beer can you drink a day, so as not to harm the body? It all depends on the state of health and naturalness of the product. Doctors recommend limiting yourself to 1 liter of beer per day, provided that a person does not have problems with the cardiovascular and digestive systems. But still, it is better to cut this amount of low-alcohol drink in half and limit yourself to a glass of good quality beer per day.

Allergy to beer: symptoms

Signs of intolerance to a foamy drink appear depending on the type of allergen. In this case, the disease manifests itself quickly enough. An allergy to barley malt is manifested by symptoms such as coughing, difficulty breathing, a feeling of heaviness in the retrosternal region. The face may become covered with red spots, a tingling sensation appears. Puffiness occurs in the lips and under the eyes.

With intolerance to hops, tearing, burning in the eyes, swelling of the eyelids appear. The nasal mucosa also suffers greatly, allergic rhinitis occurs. In extremely severe cases, an asthma attack may begin.

Allergy to yeast manifests itself in much the same way as to other components of beer. In addition, nausea, vomiting, gastrointestinal upset, and pain in the abdomen may occur.

Allergy to alcohol

Allergy to beer often develops in people who are intolerant to stronger alcoholic beverages. The reason for this is ethanol. Despite the fact that the body independently produces a small amount of this substance, a similar pathological phenomenon is still found in medical practice. How does alcohol allergy manifest itself? First of all, red spots appear on the face, itching, swelling.

An asthma attack, loss of consciousness, increased blood pressure and body temperature are extremely rare. A similar condition may be due to a lack in the body of the enzyme responsible for the processing of ethanol - aldehyde dehydrogenase.

How to overcome the disease?

If an inadequate reaction of the immune system to a beer drink is detected, you should stop drinking it and seek help from an allergist. Only this method guarantees the complete elimination of the appearance of signs of a dangerous disease.

It will not be possible to completely get rid of the symptoms of the pathology if contact with the allergen is still inevitable and it is difficult for a person to completely eliminate the consumption of their favorite drink. Treatment can only significantly reduce the severity of symptoms or even completely prevent their occurrence for a certain time.

If you are allergic to beer, you should know what generations of antihistamines are available that can significantly reduce the symptoms of the disease. It should be borne in mind that alcohol, including beer, is completely incompatible with allergy medications.

First aid

If, at the first signs of an allergic reaction to beer, a person continues to use an intoxicating drink, his condition can worsen significantly. In severe cases, you need to call an ambulance. At home, before the arrival of a team of doctors, the stomach should be cleaned, provoking vomiting. As an absorbent, you can use activated carbon, the drug "Polysorb".

Antihistamines: list

Medications that block histamine receptors must be on hand if you are allergic to a foamy drink. Such a drug is selected individually. The specialist takes into account the severity of the patient's condition, the tolerance of the components of the drug and the presence of concomitant pathologies.

All generations of antihistamines have approximately the same effect:

reduce increased capillary permeability;
prevent tissue swelling;
alleviate the patient's condition;
stop spasm of smooth muscles;
reduce the hypotensive effect of histamine.

The drugs of the first and second generation differ from the newer ones in that they often cause side effects in the form of drowsiness. Antihistamine drugs of the 3rd and 4th generation are practically devoid of such shortcomings and are suitable for absolutely all patients.

The following drugs for the treatment of allergies are among the most effective:

"Cetrin" for allergies to beer

The main active ingredient of the drug is the substance cyterizin. The drug has a quick effect and eliminates allergy symptoms within half an hour after ingestion. "Cetrin" is produced in three forms: drops, syrup, tablets.

Allergy to beer responds well to treatment with this drug. To eliminate the symptoms (lacrimation, itching, urticaria, dermatitis) of the disease, you should take 1 tablet of "Cetrin" per day. The dose can be divided into two doses. Adjustment of the daily dose is carried out if the patient has liver and kidney disease.

Is the drug compatible with alcohol?

Many are interested in how much beer you can drink per day when treated with antihistamines. Experts say that it is highly undesirable to combine antiallergic drugs even with low-alcohol drinks. It is especially dangerous to combine first-generation antihistamines with alcoholic beverages, because ethyl significantly weakens the therapeutic effect and increases the manifestation of side effects.

Can you be allergic to beer?

The essence of allergies

An irritant (allergen), which becomes the culprit in the development of a number of painful physiological and biochemical reactions, can be absolutely any substance, even familiar to the body for a long time.

hop;
dyes;
preservatives;
flavors;
Brewer's yeast;
barley malt;
rye or wheat.

Causes of an allergic reaction to beer

Also, the causes of beer allergy in adults include the following situations:

Excessive indulgence in beer.
Atopy. A group of diseases of an allergic nature: diathesis, dermatitis, rhinitis, bronchial asthma.
hereditary predisposition. If the next of kin has any kind of allergy.
celiac disease Or celiac disease. This disease is based on the existing intolerance to gluten (cereal protein).

rye pollen;
weed cereals;
flowering wheat.

Allergy to beer components

It is this additive that gives beer a specific and adored by many light bitterness. Hop belongs to the plants of the mulberry series and is one of the main elements in the production of foam.

Hops are actively used in the manufacture of many medicines. Based on it, effective sedative and analgesic medicines are made.

vomiting;
severe nausea;
painful cough;
profuse runny nose;
asthma attacks;
shortness of breath and respiratory depression.

The main culprit of such an allergy is myrcene. It is a bioactive compound found in the plant's essential oils. Myrcene is a very strong and extremely dangerous allergen.

Allergy to malt hops can present with symptoms ranging from mild hives to severe angioedema.

jumps in blood pressure;
lacrimation;
nausea and vomiting;
intestinal colic;
disorders of the digestive tract;
skin rashes on the face and body;
respiratory depression (feeling of suffocation).

Other components

avenin (oats);
zein (corn);
hordein (barley);
gluten (rye, wheat).

Alcohol intolerance can be congenital or develop over time. Moreover, acquired sensitivity to ethanol is formed over the years.

jumps in blood pressure;
tachycardia;
nasal congestion;
temperature increase;
rapid intoxication;
hyperemia (reddening of the skin);
swelling of the face and upper body;
peeling and dryness of the epidermis (the appearance of numerous wounds and cracks).

Allergy to treatment

Allergies are caused by such components of the intoxicating drink as:

dyes;
opacifiers;
preservatives;
antioxidants;
stabilizers;
flavors;
hop substitutes.

Allergy to beer: symptoms, photo

Most often, allergies to beer drinks are in the form of urticaria and Quincke's edema.

Manifestation of urticaria

Quincke's edema

With Quincke's edema, the development of swelling of the tongue is most dangerous. In such a situation, without assistance, the victim may suffocate and die.

Other manifestations of beer allergy

In addition to Quincke's edema and urticaria, allergic reactions to beer can be manifested by other symptoms. Namely, in the form of the following reactions:

rhinitis (sneezing, runny nose, nasal congestion, cough);
asthma (shortness of breath and respiratory depression, dizziness);
conjunctivitis (redness and swelling of the eyes, itching, tingling);
gastrointestinal manifestations (nausea, abdominal pain, heartburn, diarrhea).

Diagnosis of beer allergy

The difficulty of diagnosing the problem lies in the fact that an allergy can appear quite suddenly, even in an avid beer lover who has been fond of foam for many years.

How to alleviate the condition

The most effective means of relieving allergic manifestations include medicines such as:

Zodak;
Erius;
Zyrtec;
Cetrin;
Claritin;
Diazolin;
Rupatadine;
Suprastin;
Levocyterizin;
Allegra (or Telfast).

kvass;
bakery;
pasta;
sparkling and sweet wines.

Allergy to beer

Considering the red spots on the swollen face that appeared the next morning after friendly gatherings, some of us for the first time wonder if there is an allergy to beer. Unfortunately yes. Moreover, if earlier it was extremely rare, then every year more and more people complain about this disease.

Trying to make their product tastier and trying to extend the shelf life, manufacturers add more and more flavors, flavor enhancers, and preservatives to beer. And no one can predict what reaction all these substances will cause in the human body.

Beer Allergy Symptoms

The exacerbation of allergies is not caused by the drink itself, but by one or more of its ingredients (organic and inorganic compounds):

barley malt;
hop;
yeast;
sulfites and other additives;
carbon dioxide.

Sometimes an allergic reaction is caused by a combination of beer with some kind of snack.

Allergy to barley malt

Barley malt contains the LPT protein, a strong allergen. When ingested, it causes:

rash, itching, tingling of the skin of the face;
cough - due to inflammation of the mucous membrane. In difficult cases, pulmonary edema is possible;
swelling of the eyelids and lips.

Often, people with an allergy to pollen react to barley malt protein. The same symptoms appear after eating barley porridge, less often pasta and other types of porridge.

A person with this form of allergy should try gluten-free rice and corn beer. Light wheat beer contains gluten, but if the allergy is mild, the drink may not cause a negative reaction in the body.

Hop allergy

allergic rhinitis, conjunctivitis. Obviously not a cold, a person begins to sneeze, blow his nose, tears flow from his eyes, eyelids swell;
hives;
asthma attack. In this case, hospitalization is required.

If you are allergic to hops, beer should not be consumed at all, even non-alcoholic.

Yeast Allergy

nausea and vomiting;
diarrhea;
pain in the upper abdomen;
hives and itching;
cough (due to mucosal inflammation).

If you are allergic to yeast, you should not drink live unfiltered beer.

Allergy to sulfites and other additives

rash;
nausea, vomiting, diarrhea;
in severe cases - anaphylactic shock.

Sulfites are commonly used as preservatives not only for beer, but also for wine. Therefore, wine allergy sufferers usually cannot drink canned beer. Live beer, in which there are no such amount of chemical additives, usually does not cause a negative reaction.

Allergy to carbon dioxide

In sensitive people, carbon dioxide causes swelling of the face, hands, or feet. In the same way, the body reacts to carbonated water, artificially carbonated champagne, purchased kvass. If you are allergic to carbon dioxide, it is recommended either to completely abandon beer, or to determine a relatively safe dose experimentally (live beer is preferable, since it has natural carbonation).

Allergy to beer in babies

Sometimes breastfeeding women cannot refuse beer or deliberately drink a little of it so that milk comes. It must be remembered that hops are the strongest allergen that can cause a rash and stomach cramps in an infant. Therefore, during lactation it is better not to drink beer.

Prevention and treatment of beer allergy symptoms

If the symptoms of an allergy to beer appeared in an adult who had previously consumed the drink without problems, it means that either his immune system is weakened, or he is “lucky” to find a beer with a high allergen content.

Another option is an allergy to the combination of beer with some product. Most often, an exacerbation of the disease is caused by "chemical" snacks: chips, crackers and nuts with flavorings.

If the symptoms do not require hospitalization, then it is necessary:

refuse to drink beer until the causes of the allergic reaction are clarified;
with rashes and edema, starve for 1–2 days, drinking 2–2.5 liters of fluid daily;
in order to quickly pass the rash, you need to drink nettle infusion 3-4 times a day (it cleanses the blood);
with swelling, drink rosehip infusion;
Take antihistamines as prescribed by your doctor.

Then you should consult an allergist. After the tests, it will become clear what exactly causes the allergy. Then it will be possible to determine which types of beer are strictly forbidden to drink, and which ones should not be abandoned.

Allergy to beer

Beer is an alcoholic drink that can bring serious trouble to its fans. People with hypersensitivity may be allergic to beer. The reaction can occur immediately or after some time. In the second case, determining the source of irritation becomes difficult.

beer components

According to the studies of historians, initially the cultivation of grain crops was carried out directly for this type of alcohol, and not for bread. It should be emphasized that the components of a beer drink are not always the same. Everything is determined by the variety, type and recipe of the manufacturer. Despite this, the main ingredients for making beer still remain the same:

barley - in beer production is involved not in the form of grains, but in the form of its seedlings - malt;
hops - plant cones are used, which are added to the drink after boiling, which creates a special aroma;
yeast - used to ensure the fermentation of beer. These components are responsible for the strength of the drink - in the bulk of varieties, the concentration of alcohol provides an average of 3 to 5.5%. This is due to the fact that when 5.5% of the strength of alcohol is exceeded, the yeast stops working.

The production of strong varieties of beer requires the use of special yeast that is resistant to alcohol.

Causes of the disease

The main factor that provokes allergies is the abuse of beer. A strong reaction is characterized by high sensitivity to the components of the drink. How allergy to beer manifests itself directly depends on them:

Barley malt. With a tendency to irritation from pollen, the threat of an allergic reaction when drinking a drink increases. Germinated malt is used to make beer, which is more irritating. Barley contains a protein called LPT, which can be irritating to predisposed individuals if processed in certain ways.
Hops can provoke allergies.
Yeast ingredients such as mushrooms tend to cause irritation.
Auxiliary components in the form of chemical additives, flavor and aroma enhancers, which are present in all products and affect allergies.
Hereditary tendency to irritable reactions - any type of allergies in close family members.
Susceptibility to atopy - chronic inflammation of the skin, childhood diathesis, bronchial asthma and other forms of manifestation of hypersensitivity.
Celiac disease is a congenital intolerance to the protein of cereals - gluten.
Alcohol causes an unpleasant reaction with increased sensitivity to it.
Enzymes that speed up fermentation.

The reason for an allergy to beer can be a trivial abuse of the drink. Drinking an expired product can provoke a number of reactions that will not be caused by an allergy, but by an expired one.

If you want to improve the condition of your hair, you should pay special attention to the shampoos you use.

A frightening figure - in 97% of shampoos of famous brands there are substances that poison our body. The main components, because of which all the troubles on the labels are indicated as sodium lauryl sulfate, sodium laureth sulfate, coco sulfate. These chemicals destroy the structure of the curls, the hair becomes brittle, loses elasticity and strength, and the color fades. But the worst thing is that this muck gets into the liver, heart, lungs, accumulates in the organs and can cause cancer.

We advise you to refrain from using products containing these substances. Recently, the experts of our editorial staff conducted an analysis of sulfate-free shampoos, where the first place was taken by funds from the company Mulsan Сosmetic. The only manufacturer of completely natural cosmetics. All products are manufactured under strict quality control and certification systems.

Allergy to beer symptoms

The disease can manifest itself in different ways, usually they are reactions of the following nature:

tingling and redness of the skin, itching, discomfort in the chest area;
the occurrence of urticaria, burning around the eyes, tears, immunity to light;
the appearance of a burning sensation in the nasal passages, the release of colorless mucus, a runny nose. Perhaps the formation of an asthmatic attack;
the formation of rashes similar to scabies, a feeling of aching pain in the abdomen;
manifestation of coughing and sneezing, nausea and vomiting, often there are bouts of diarrhea;
Quincke's edema is a consequence of swelling of the skin and mucous tissues. It is fraught with suffocation and death of the patient.

If at least one of the described signs is found, it is necessary to find out the cause of the disease.

beer allergy therapy

When drinking beer has caused a typical allergic irritation, medical attention is required, since even with a mild manifestation, the reaction in adults can turn into laryngeal edema or lower blood pressure.

You need to stop drinking alcohol.

Before arrival you must:

pull yourself together - emotional overstrain exacerbates the symptoms, provoking palpitations and shortness of breath;
perform a gastric lavage - drink at least 0.5 liters of water, induce vomiting;
carry out the reception of sorbents;
take a pill or administer an injection of an antihistamine medication (Suprastin, Tavegil).

After diagnosing the patient, the doctor decides whether there is a need for hospitalization or provides assistance on the spot.

beer allergy treatment

If symptoms of irritation to an alcoholic drink are found, one should not expect it to self-eliminate. Even if the symptoms disappeared without treatment, this does not guarantee that beer can be continued. The secondary penetration of the allergen into the blood fluid can provoke a more powerful reaction and bring health risks.

As with any food irritation, a beer allergy requires the use of sorbents. They provide binding and removal of the allergen from the gastrointestinal tract. In pharmacies, medicines are presented in the form of: Smecta, Enterosgel, Polysorb. The second nuance of treatment is taking an antihistamine drug.

The most effective drugs belong to the category 2 and 3 generations, for example: Loratadin, Centrin, Claritin. For local treatment, elimination of skin rashes, redness, itching, various ointments and gels are used.

If allergic reactions to beer are detected, it is important to conduct an analysis to determine the irritant. The disease can arise from a certain type of drink, due to differences in the components. If you are irritated with beer, it is not necessary to avoid all variants of the drink.

If, when changing the type of beer in the direction of a quality product without preservatives and flavorings, allergy symptoms occur, it is recommended to refuse to drink the drink. After all, with the constant influence of the irritant on the body, the risk of the disease developing into Quincke's edema or anaphylaxis, which poses a danger to the patient's life, increases.

Can a baby be allergic to beer?

Based on the fact that the intoxicating drink is allowed for use by persons over 18 years of age, scientific studies have not been conducted on the subject of irritation in babies. The manifestation of allergies in children is expressed in a similar way.

The article was written based on materials from sites: allergycentr.ru, fb.ru, vsezavisimosti.ru, alcofan.com, telemedicina.one.

In short: Most often, allergic reactions are caused by: factory (purchased, not homemade) wine, beer and strong drinks with impurities (whiskey, tequila, moonshine).

This article is written specifically for allergy sufferers who do not want to suffer from allergic reactions once again. If you are interested in why an allergy to alcohol can occur at all, which alcoholic drinks can cause allergies even in people who are usually not prone to allergies, and what to do if you are allergic to alcohol, read the separate article “Alcohol Allergy”. For a summary of how to recognize an allergy and what to do about it, see this illustration:

If you are allergic, then you need to drink with caution: some drinks can increase allergies or provoke an attack of an already healed allergy. For example, after drinking a glass of wine, a rash may appear. Does this mean that if you have an allergy, then you should not drink alcohol? Not quite and not always. First of all, you need to figure out whether all drinks are contraindicated for allergy sufferers. It turns out that not all: some alcoholic beverages cause allergies much more often, and it is their allergy sufferers who should avoid giving preference to other alcoholic beverages.

Which alcoholic beverages are more likely to cause allergies

Of the alcoholic beverages, most often allergic reactions are caused by: factory (purchased, not homemade) wine, beer, as well as strong drinks with impurities (whiskey, tequila, moonshine).

factory wine

Causes of an allergy to wine:

Many wines and champagnes contain sulfur dioxide. Sulfur dioxide enters the product due to the fact that it is processed in vineyards, and it is used in the manufacture of wine as a stabilizer for the initial must.
In some people, sulfur compounds cause severe allergies, because they readily interact with body proteins at the location of sulfur-containing amino acids in the peptide chain. This leads to a change in the conformation of the protein molecule and sometimes results in the discovery of antigenic determinants. By the same principle, many people have a strong allergy to unithiol, which is part of the Zorex anti-hangover agent.
If you're allergic to wine, try house wine. If there is no reaction to homemade wine, then you are allergic not to alcohol and not to the aromatic substances of wine, but to this preservative.
Another option is the presence of impurities in the drink in the form pesticides, which were used at the stage of growing grapes or other crops. By the way, a common type of allergy to chocolate and citrus fruits is most often an allergy to pesticides present in cocoa beans and lemons / oranges. The so-called developing countries, where cocoa beans and citrus fruits are usually grown, use pesticides in increased quantities (therefore, use caution, for example, pineapples: no more than a kilogram per day).
Many people are allergic to nuts, usually of a certain type, such as hazelnuts or almonds. Almonds are a regular component of some varieties liquor and mulled wine.
Some falsified wines, cognacs, tinctures, contain artificial or herbal additives - dyes, stabilizers, flavors. Among them, there are a sufficient number of compounds that can act as haptens.
Sometimes bee and wasp venom gets into the wine, which can cause allergies.

Beer

Some people who use for a long time (years) beer, receive sensitization to barley gluten. In such patients, some protein of the epithelium of the intestinal wall in part of the amino acid chain is similar in chemical structure to some part of the amino acid chain of gluten. Over time, the epithelium of the intestine, the conjunctiva of the eye, the urethra, and the synovial membrane of the joints, as a secondary autoantigen, begins to be attacked by antibodies, eventually leading to a complex autoimmune-allergic syndrome.

It can manifest itself as one of our readers describes in his question to the doctor, in the form of arthritis and colitis with diarrhea (diarrhea), or in the form of difficult-to-diagnose skin rashes all over the body. Beer colitis, in turn, leads to an increase in the permeability of the intestinal wall and the penetration into the blood of classic allergens from the intestinal lumen.

If allergic symptoms appear the next day after drinking beer (dry skin, irritation of mucous membranes, itching, diarrhea) - this is either an allergic reaction or an autoimmune one. If it's an allergy, it's most likely to barley gluten. But a similar picture can be given by an excessive reaction of the immune system to underdigested food protein, which is normally excreted from the intestines, and in the presence of alcohol begins to penetrate through the intestinal wall into the blood. In such cases, doctors recommend: try not drinking beer for a couple of years and see if the reaction persists. If it persists or resumes after 1-3 months, then beer is contraindicated for you.

If a person has an allergy to beer, then the type of beer does not matter: there will be a reaction even to non-alcoholic beer. In addition, beer is contraindicated for all patients with atopic dermatitis.

If you like beer, then read the special article "10 Useful Facts for Beer Lovers" - and you will find out the best way to snack on beer, how to avoid the appearance of a "beer belly" and how to quickly cure a beer hangover.

Strong alcohol with impurities

In the case of strong alcoholic beverages that have a complex composition, an allergy occurs to impurities. In the production of cognac, whiskey, tequila and other traditional drinks, the purification of alcohol is deliberately not brought to an end, but is interrupted at some stage so that the final drink retains the taste and smell specific to alcohol from a particular raw material (cereals, grapes, agave, and so on).

Whiskey

Whiskey, unlike vodka, contains many substances that provide its peculiar taste and smell: fusel oils, acetals (ethers, they are especially abundant in malt whiskey), diacetyl diketone (which is much more in whiskey than in vodka, but much less than in rum or brandy) and many other impurities, most of which appear during the fermentation process.

While the whiskey is maturing in oak barrels, it gets from the tree: lactone esters, phenolic components (in particular, coumarin is also found in some varieties of cinnamon. It is most of all in corn whiskey - bourbon), polyphenol tannin (the very substance from which astringency in the mouth after fruit or red wine), the polyphenol ellagic acid (an antioxidant found primarily in malt whisky).

Most of these components, although moderately, are toxic; while whiskey, unlike wines and beer, does not contain vitamins and other substances that can alleviate a severe hangover. Aged whiskeys are less harmful, since some of the fusel oils in them are absorbed by the tree - as is the case with cognac, which for this reason is less dangerous for allergy sufferers (but still more dangerous than pure alcohol, that is, vodka).

Tequila

Unlike vodka, which, apart from ethyl alcohol and water, contains almost nothing, tequila is rich in esters and higher alcohols, it contains especially a lot (about 50 mg per liter) of ethyl acetate, a well-known solvent registered as food additive E1504 (entomologists use it like insect poison). Esters give tequila its taste and aroma, but unlike beer, you should not expect anything useful and anti-hangover from the ingredients of tequila. These impurities give a strong hangover effect and a versatile load on the liver.

Aged tequila has a milder effect: in the process of maturation in oak barrels, fusel oils are absorbed by the tree - just as it happens with cognac and whiskey. Therefore, aged tequila is considered safer for allergy sufferers.

Moonshine

Moonshine is another strong alcoholic drink containing a lot of impurities. They give moonshine a characteristic taste, but significantly aggravate the effect of alcohol on the body and cause a more severe hangover compared to vodka, because in the industrial production of good vodka, excess impurities are removed by all possible means. The cleaner the drink, the closer it is to vodka in composition, the easier it will be for the liver to process it, the less consequences there will be in the morning and the less likely it is to cause an allergy to various unexpected components of the drink.

Which alcoholic drinks are the safest for allergy sufferers?

The following alcoholic drinks are the safest for allergy sufferers: house wine, cognac and pure alcohol (vodka).

Home wine

Unlike purchased, homemade wine is made without the use of chemicals: pesticides, stabilizers, dyes, flavors and other improvers. If you are allergic to wine, try homemade wine. If there is no reaction to it, it means that you are not allergic to alcohol and not to the aromatic substances of wine, but to preservatives or other additives contained in purchased wine.

Cognac

Due to the tannins in its composition, cognac increases the permeability of the intestinal wall to a lesser extent than other alcoholic beverages. And if beer is contraindicated for some allergy sufferers precisely for this reason, then cognac in this sense may be less harmful. However, it should be remembered that these same tannins slow down the absorption of alcohol into the blood, so intoxication will become noticeable much later. Considering the presence of impurities in cognac that aggravate intoxication and subsequent hangover, an acceptable dose of the drink should be 30-40% less than the dose of vodka.

Pure alcohol: vodka

Drinking "clean" alcoholic beverages such as vodka or diluted alcohol can also lead to allergies. The reasons for this are different from those described above.

On the one hand, alcohol, being a good organic solvent, increases the permeability of biological barriers. This means that an increase in the permeability of the intestinal wall can lead to the entry into the blood of microbial toxins (the intestine is a wholesale warehouse of microbes) or underdigested proteins taken in food. Some toxins and all underdigested proteins are already classic allergens and cause at least hives.

On the other hand, strong drinks, starting from a certain dose, inhibit the enzymatic activity of the pancreas, especially in conditions of simultaneous acceptance of large quantities of food. The most important digestive function of the pancreas is the transformation of a foreign protein into blanks for its own - the digestion of proteins, that is, the destruction of the peptide chain to individual amino acids. Getting into the blood, individual amino acids do not have any immunogenic activity and are used intracellularly for the synthesis of their own polypeptide chains.

In case of absolute or relative insufficiency of the enzymatic activity of the pancreas, the foreign protein taken in food breaks down not to individual amino acids, but to their chains (peptides), which normally may not pass through the intestinal barrier, but pass through it under conditions of increased permeability under the action of alcohol and/or other factors such as background colitis.

There are peptides that can at certain times penetrate the intestinal wall even under conditions of unimpaired permeability - for example, the well-known allergy to cow's milk actually turns out to be the result of insufficient digestion and incomplete breakdown of milk casein, albumin or globulins into individual amino acids. The author had to deal with patients who had an allergy to cow's milk in childhood, and in adulthood it returned in case of heavy drinking.

Medications that allergic drinkers should be careful with

In addition to the alcoholic beverages themselves, some medications that people use to treat a hangover or after drinking can cause allergies. Therefore, drinking people with a tendency to allergies should pay special attention to them.

Zorex

Often, people are allergic to the anti-hangover drug Zorex - due to the unithiol included in its composition. Zorex causes allergies much more often than other detoxification agents. Unithiol effectively binds poisons and removes them from the body - but, unfortunately, this substance can also interact with body proteins, somewhat modifying their molecules and thereby causing a violent immune response. After all, an allergy is a reaction of the immune system to its own altered protein.

Without a special allergy test, it is impossible to predict whether a particular person will have a reaction to Zorex, but you can remember how you tolerate sulfur-containing foods (peas, cauliflower, turnips). If it’s bad, then Zorex will most likely be allergic.

The drug "Zorex Morning" is fundamentally different from the classic Zorex, as it does not contain unitiol. Zorex Morning contains acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin), sodium bicarbonate (soda), citric and succinic acids. These are the usual components for such a drug, safe for the vast majority of people.

Metadoxil

Metadoxil is a drug for alcohol dependence. Metadoxil is a more active derivative of pyridoxine (vitamin B6). It works well as an anti-hangover remedy, but it can provoke bronchospasm and other manifestations of acute allergies (due to the content of sulfur in its composition in the form of sulfites). Since the frequency of bronchospasm is quite high, metadoxil should be taken only as prescribed by a doctor.

monastery tea

Sometimes monastic tea is used as an adjunct in the treatment of alcoholism: a herbal collection of natural immunomodulators and antidepressants. However, natural does not mean harmless. Monastic tea contains a large number of different herbs, and some of them (or a combination of them) can cause allergies in a particular person. Read the ingredients carefully before drinking and avoid buying monastery tea without a label on the package or from unreliable suppliers. There are many tea producers under this name, and if the plants are collected by non-professionals, such a collection can easily harm not only allergy sufferers, but also people who are not prone to allergies.

Hepatoprotectors

Hepatoprotectors are drugs that were developed to restore a damaged liver and to protect it from the influence of negative factors, including alcohol (after all, alcohol hits the liver most of all). Unfortunately, most hepatoprotectors have not been tested for effectiveness. There are a couple of exceptions that really help with specific diseases, but the doctor should prescribe them based on the results of the tests.

These drugs should not be taken on their own: not only are they useless, they can also be harmful, especially for allergy sufferers. Don't take risks for dubious benefits. These hepatoprotectors cause allergies most often:

Essentiale forte. Essentiale Forte's main active ingredient is 3-sn-phosphatidylcholine from soybeans. As side effects of the drug, allergic reactions and minor diarrhea (diarrhea) can be observed. The last side effect does not require discontinuation of treatment.
Ademetionine (Heptral). The drug contains sulfur as part of the methionine residue, therefore it can cause allergic reactions, including such a life-threatening form as laryngeal edema. Before starting treatment, you should consult with an allergist.
Lipoic (or thioctic) acid is a derivative of dichlorooctanoic acid. When ingested, dyspeptic symptoms (nausea, vomiting, heartburn) and allergic reactions, including anaphylactic shock, as well as hypoglycemia (lowering blood sugar), are possible.
Sirepar and Gepadif- hepatoprotectors of animal origin, which include biological substances extracted from the liver of animals. Their disadvantage is that they can enhance the body's immune response, increasing the likelihood of allergic reactions. In patients with a liver damaged by hepatitis, the immune system can even begin to fight against the cells of the body itself (immunopathological syndrome). During treatment, abdominal pain, allergic reactions, vomiting, diarrhea may develop. If such signs appear, the drug should be discontinued. And before starting treatment, it is imperative to determine the patient's sensitivity to a drug of animal origin. People who are prone to allergies should choose to take a hepatoprotector of some other group, and not of animal origin, since there are now many different types of them.
Gepabene, silimar and sibektan- hepatoprotectors containing in their composition substances extracted from the milk thistle plant, or their semi-synthetic analogues. Often, people have an increased sensitivity to milk thistle preparations, including in terms of the development of allergic reactions.
Hepa-merz. This drug also has a hepatoprotective effect and improves metabolism. Allergy sufferers should be careful with hepa-merz because of the dye E110 "Orange Sunset" included in its composition: it is a sulfonated dye Sudan-1, which is a carcinogen that can cause allergic reactions and digestive disorders. E-110 is banned in some countries, for example, in Finland, Norway, USA.

Opaque alcoholic beverages, which contain a large number of different impurities, threaten us not only with probable allergies. Even after such drinks, there is a much more severe hangover. To be prepared for this turn of events, read the article on how to get rid of a severe hangover at home: a toxicologist explains how to act with a hangover in order to quickly recover.

The article was last updated: 10.12.2018

Didn't find what you were looking for?

Free guide to knowledge

Subscribe to the newsletter. We will tell you how to drink and eat so as not to harm your health. The best advice from the experts of the site, which is read by more than 200,000 people every month. Stop ruining your health and join us!