Our complete guide to Sudden Alcohol Intolerance is an excellent introductory resource to this condition. It could also be that alcohol has a natural side effect to make people congested. Alcoholic drinks have a natural vasodilatory effect which expands blood vessels. Alcohol acts as a diuretic, meaning you lose increased amounts of body water through your kidneys. This can potentially lead to dehydration with increased thickness of the mucus in your nose and sinuses that might lead to congestion. The first is that alcohol contains compounds that act as allergens.

Alcohol intolerance

Alcohol intolerance is a temporary, but pretty uncomfortable, reaction to alcohol — with nasal congestion and flushed skin being the two most common side effects. It happens if your ALDH2 enzymes (remember those?) aren’t particularly effective at their job, or if your body just doesn’t make enough ALDH2 enzyme in the first place. In either case, the result is less acetaldehyde being broken down into acetate. But not many people realize that there are many ingredients, additives, and preservatives within alcoholic beverages that can cause negative side effects. In some people, these reactions look like allergy symptoms even though they don’t have a true allergy to alcohol. If you have an alcohol allergy, your immune system over-reacts to alcohol.

Medical Professionals

We use a pharmacist-formulated blend of Glutathione, Dihydromyricetin, Cysteine, L-Theanine, & B Vitamins to stop alcohol flushing before it can begin. The most decisive way to treat a stuffy nose is to eliminate its cause, but there are several ways you can experience more immediate relief. Sulfites, histamines, and tannins are among some of the substances sneezing after drinking alcohol believed to contribute to a wine intolerance. Although an intolerance may cause similar symptoms to allergies, intolerance is not the same as an allergy. These steroid nasal sprays are available over-the-counter under brand names such as Flonase Allergy Relief and Nasacort. The maximum effect won’t be achieved for several days or weeks.

How is alcohol allergy diagnosed?

Those who are found to have an allergy to a specific ingredient in wine like grapes may need to avoid other foods containing those ingredients. Some people believe that a reaction to histamine causes symptoms after drinking red wine. Histamine is made during the production process of fermentation. People with an intolerance to a food or beverage may experience symptoms that are uncomfortable but not life-threatening. Those who have an allergy, however, could have serious reactions if they consume something they are allergic to. Sinus congestion that clears up within a day or so after drinking alcohol typically poses no cause for concern.

The content on Healthgrades does not provide medical advice. Always consult a medical provider for diagnosis and treatment. Take our short alcohol quiz to learn where you fall on the drinking spectrum and if you might benefit from quitting or cutting back on alcohol.

Your body holds on to the nutritive parts of what you eat and drink, but, otherwise, what goes in must also come out. Have you ever gotten a stuffy nose after a glass of red wine? The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment is supporting the Colorado Department of Agriculture in the state’s response to H5N1 avian flu.

How can you treat alcohol allergy?

• The symptoms of histamine intolerance are similar to an allergic reaction.
• However, you can take steps to limit unpleasant symptoms.
• And since it affects your genes, once you inherit it, you’re stuck with it.
• Having sluggish ALDH2 enzymes, or lower levels of it altogether, is ultimately the product of having genetic variation in your ALDH2 gene.

However, you can take steps to limit unpleasant symptoms. The most effective treatment is not drinking alcohol at all, or drinking only occasionally and in small amounts. Avoid smoking and taking medication while drinking, as this can worsen alcohol intolerance symptoms. For anyone who drinks alcohol, staying hydrated can help reduce the negative effects.

Why Does Wine Cause a Stuffy Nose?

Some of the most common culprits for reactions are gluten, hops, wheat, and yeast. If you have an intolerance or sensitivity to any of these ingredients, you’ll likely react to drinking beer. If you’re reacting to your favorite adult beverages, you may even have an alcohol intolerance. The Mayo Clinic says that the most common signs include a stuffy nose, hives, low blood pressure, nausea and diarrhea. Like many medical terms, vasomotor rhinitis sounds ominous but generally is not.