Drinking is one of America’s favorite past times. Some of your best memories may be from that time you took too many tequila shots at your best friend’s bachelor party or even just your weekly endless beer and wings nights with the bros. But, if you find yourself experiencing a change in how alcohol affects your body, chances are, you may have developed an allergy to alcohol.
Don’t be scared, if you are allergic to alcohol or think that you may be, it is not the end of the world. You can still choose to drink if you want but it is important to be aware of your body and any side effects caused by alcohol consumption. Some of the signs that may indicate that you are allergic to alcohol include hot and red skin, hives, trouble breathing, and nausea and diarrhea.
Many people get hot flashes or a little bit warm when they drink. However, if you find yourself getting very flushed, you may be experiencing an allergic reaction. Alcohol naturally opens up blood vessels but typically people’s bodies are able to neutralize the redness by metabolizing the alcohol into acetaldehyde. If you tend to break out in hives when consuming alcohol, this may be because when the acetaldehyde releases histamines, hives are caused when there is a presence of an allergy.
Likewise, a histamine intolerance can lead you to have a shortness of breath and a difficult time breathing because it can inflame soft tissues like your lungs. Lastly, don’t just chalk up your nausea to the fact that you had one too many French fries at dinner. When your body has an intolerance to alcohol, your digestive system can react in pretty unpleasant ways.