If you find that certain drinks trigger your sneezing, try switching to a different type of alcohol. For example, if wine makes you sneeze, try drinking vodka or gin instead. Likewise, if beer makes you sneeze, try drinking vodka or gin instead. And if cocktails make you sneeze, try making your own with fresh fruit juices instead of pre-made mixes. In one 2005 Swedish study, those with asthma, bronchitis and hay fever were more apt to sneeze, get a runny nose or have “lower-airway symptoms” after a drink, especially women. Wine – both red and white – were often the worst offenders.
When to see a doctor
However, some people may experience allergy-like reactions after consumption. People may also have an allergic reaction to specific ingredients in alcoholic drinks rather than the alcohol itself. 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. In some cases, over-the-counter or prescribed medications might help alleviate symptoms.
The Reason Behind Sneezing After Drinking
- Symptoms may occur within seconds or minutes of alcohol exposure and could trigger after exposure to even tiny amounts of the allergen.
- Of all alcoholic beverages, red wines usually have the highest histamine content.
- The most common signs and symptoms are stuffy nose and skin flushing.
Another possibility is that alcohol irritates the mucous membranes in the nose, causing them to swell and lead to sneezing. Another reason why alcohol can cause wheezing is that it not only contains histamines but also stimulates the body to release excess histamines, causing an inflammatory response. When this inflammation occurs in the airway, patients can experience wheezing and shortness of breath. Many people are familiar with common side effects of alcohol, including lowered inhibitions, euphoria (i.e., feeling “tipsy”), decreased coordination, and hangovers. However, alcohol can also have effects with which many people may not be familiar.
Risk factors
- Some types of sulfites might also trigger an asthmatic attack if you have asthma.
- A skin test is the standard diagnostic tool for finding out if someone has allergies.
- Unfortunately, if the body can’t effectively process and break down these histamines, it creates a buildup, which can cause these uncomfortable skin conditions, he explains.
- People with alcohol intolerance may notice one or more of these symptoms after taking a few sips of alcohol.
- When eating out, they should make a point of asking about ingredients to make sure they do not contain alcohol, because even a small amount can cause a reaction.
- As with any other allergen, your body reacts to alcohol as a foreign invader and creates antibodies as a response, he explains.
Symptoms of an allergy or intolerance to beer may occur because you have a sensitivity to an ingredient in beer. Common allergens in beer include gluten, histamine, sulfites, and yeast. While specific ingredients in alcoholic beverages may cause allergic reactions, there is no known comprehensive list that guarantees the prevention of alcohol-induced sneezing. If you’re allergic to alcohol, you may experience hives, itching, swelling, difficulty breathing, and wheezing.
- The only way to avoid beer allergy symptoms is to avoid drinking beer.
- If you develop symptoms after drinking alcohol, make an appointment with your doctor.
- Hodgkin lymphoma is a blood cancer that can affect a person’s lymphatic system.
- With COVID-19, you may be more likely to experience loss of taste or smell.
- An allergic reaction might not occur the first time a person encounters an allergen.
- Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
Histamine is made during the production process of fermentation. Anaphylaxis is a rare but severe allergic reaction possible with any allergy, including beer or its ingredients. For many people, wine is the drink that causes them to sneeze. This is likely because wine contains histamines, which trigger allergies. If you’re allergic to wine, you may notice that you sneeze more after drinking it.
The reason some people have an intolerance to sulfites is unknown, but both genetics and the environment could be contributing factors. The best way to manage a beer sensitivity or allergy is to avoid drinking beer or choose beers that do not have the ingredient (like gluten) that are causing your symptoms. A few alcohols are less likely to trigger symptoms in people with alcohol intolerance. However, if you have alcohol intolerance, you must talk to your doctor about which alcohols are best for you to drink. First, some people have lower levels of the enzymes the body needs to break alcohol (ethanol) into metabolites that it can process and excrete. When byproducts of alcohol don’t get broken down quickly enough, they accumulate to levels high enough to cause a mild allergic reaction.
The most common signs and symptoms are stuffy nose and skin flushing. If you experience a mild allergic reaction, over-the-counter oral antihistamines may be enough to treat it. If you develop any signs of a severe reaction, you should receive one or more doses of epinephrine. It’s available in preloaded syringes, known as epinephrine auto-injectors (e.g., EpiPen).
If you suspect you have an allergy to wine, make an appointment with a healthcare provider. Only a healthcare provider can formally diagnose allergies. Unlike the symptoms of intolerance, an allergic reaction can be serious and even life-threatening. An allergic reaction may cause a variety of does alcohol make you sneeze symptoms involving the skin, the gastrointestinal system, and the respiratory system. In some people, intolerance or allergy to alcohol can also result in uncomfortable or even dangerous symptoms. This article discusses allergies to alcohol, symptoms, triggers, tests, and treatment options.
When you drink alcohol, it’s absorbed into your bloodstream and quickly travels to your brain. As it does, it causes your blood vessels to dilate or widen. A protein on the skin of a grape, mostly those in red wines, can contribute to symptoms in those who already have allergies, according to a German study. Watch that glass of red wine or hoppy beer if you have food allergies.
