Allergic to Alcohol? 10 Common Symptoms of Alcohol Intolerance

how to stop sneezing when drinking alcohol

During a skin prick test, your doctor will use a lancet to prick or scratch your skin. They will apply a drop of allergen extract to the pricked or scratched area. Your skin’s reaction can help them learn if you have an allergy. If you have a true alcohol allergy, even small amounts sneezing after drinking alcohol of alcohol can cause symptoms. It’s recommended to consult with a health care provider prior to taking any medications to discuss potential drug interactions. You can also consult the medication’s warning label to understand whether it should be avoided in combination with alcohol.

how to stop sneezing when drinking alcohol

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This is another method for trying to stifle a sneeze just before it happens. When you feel a sneeze coming on, try pinching your nose at the nostrils, like you might if something smelled bad. Over time, these irritants can lead to cancers of the nose, throat, and lungs as well as other chronic respiratory problems. Always wear protective gear, such as a mask or respirator, when working around inhalable dust.

Histamine intolerance

If drinking from a glass makes you sneeze, try drinking through a straw instead. This will help reduce your nose’s contact with the drink and make it less likely to trigger a sneeze. Like wine, beer also contains histamines, which can trigger sneezing.

how to stop sneezing when drinking alcohol

Risks and Complications

Oral decongestants are not usually used unless nasal antihistamines and nasal glucocorticoids haven’t worked for you. Oral decongestants can help with stuffiness but they have side effects such as increased blood pressure, nervousness, and difficulty sleeping. Prescription nasal antihistamines can help relieve sneezing, postnasal drip, and congestion.

What does drinking alcohol do to your body?

how to stop sneezing when drinking alcohol

In addition, beer is often brewed with hops, comprising a compound called lupulin. 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. One is that alcohol dilates blood vessels in the nose, which can cause irritation and lead to sneezing. Another possibility is that alcohol irritates the mucous membranes in the nose, causing them to swell and lead to sneezing.

We do not offer individual medical advice, diagnosis or treatment plans. For personal advice, please consult with a medical professional. “Once you have a sense of how much you’re drinking, it’s helpful to track how many drinks you’re having per day,” says Witkiewitz. “You could use a calendar, journal or any number of tracking apps.” Drink Control Alcohol Tracker or Less are two examples of free tracking apps available on iOS devices. By Sarah Bence, OTR/LBence is an occupational therapist with a range of work experience in mental healthcare settings. Remember you are facing a difficult challenge during alcohol withdrawal, but you are not alone.

  • A healthcare provider will also run tests to rule out other medical conditions that have similar symptoms of alcohol withdrawal or occur alongside withdrawal.
  • People often call alcohol intolerance an alcohol allergy, and vice versa.

Although you might be tempted to tough out withdrawal symptoms by yourself, it’s not worth the risk. Although there are many benzos available, diazepam (Valium), lorazepam (Ativan), and chlordiazepoxide (Librium) are the most frequently used. They’re sedatives that work by stimulating gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a chemical in the brain that is involved in setting off alcohol withdrawal symptoms. Symptoms of alcohol intolerance can make a person feel uncomfortable. In contrast, an alcohol allergy could become life threatening. If people experience symptoms after drinking alcohol, they should speak with a doctor for further advice.

how to stop sneezing when drinking alcohol