Do you have an alcohol allergy?

Most of us have experienced some unpleasant side effects after drinking alcohol, but this is the price we pay for drinking too much! But for some, even drinking small quantities of alcohol can cause allergy-like symptoms.

Allergic reactions occur when the the body’s immune system mistakenly identifies a usually harmless substance (an allergen) and tries to eradicate it. It does this by producing a type of antibody called IgE, and releasing histamines from specialised immune cells.

This rarely happens with alcohol. The allergic reaction is usually caused by some other ingredient present in the alcoholic drink, such as grapes in wine, the type of grain used to make beer (hops, barley, wheat) and even some of the flavourings used – apples, oranges, berries. The symptoms are similar to those of a typical food allergy.

Wines and beers also contain naturally occurring sulphites, and more are usually added as a preservative. They can cause wheezing in some asthmatics. Red wines usually have fewer sulphites than white wines.

Histamines are present in many alcoholic drinks, especially red wines. Some people are intolerant to them, as they make less of the enzyme diamine oxidase, which is needed to break down histamine.

As histamine is the chemical released by mast cells involved in allergic reactions, the symptoms are often similar – red itchy rash, sneezing and wheezing.

You can also be deficient in the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase, needed to help break down alcohol. This is especially true if you are Asian or of Asian origin. This can result in flushing (red face), an increased heart rate and reduced blood pressure, which can be mistaken for an allergy.

Unless you want to stop drinking altogether, a little detective work may be required to find the source of your symptoms. Take a note of which drinks affect you and try to find a common ingredient. Or just avoid them altogether!

This article was published on Thu 19 November 2009