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An allergy to alcohol is a very annoying and quite common thing. At the same time, as we will see, in most cases the appearance of this disease depends not so much on the quantity, but on the quality of the consumed alcoholic beverages. But first, a few words about allergies, as such.
It should be noted right away that allergy to alcohol is not treated, but the effect can be significantly reduced and get some kind of “vaccination”, which will be discussed in this article.
Before doing anything
Any allergic manifestations are associated with unreasonably increased sensitivity of the immune system to certain substances that enter the body from outside. That is, when faced with one or another foreign but at the same time harmless organic compound, the human defense system begins to produce antibodies with unjustified intensity, which, in the absence of a real enemy, destabilize the normal functioning of the body. This same state of affairs leads to the emergence of inflammatory processes of varying intensity, expressed in various allergic manifestations.
At the same time, in the case of alcohol allergy, the most interesting fact is that it cannot be caused directly by ethyl alcohol. The human body itself produces a small amount of ethanol, respectively – it cannot perceive it as a foreign element. In the role of allergens, in this case, a huge amount of other substances that make up certain alcoholic beverages can act.
There is, however, such a problem as alcohol incompatibility, caused by the absence in the body of a special enzyme responsible for the breakdown of ethyl alcohol. But this, as the classics used to say, is a completely different story.
How does alcohol allergy manifest itself?
The symptoms of an alcohol allergy are primarily expressed in the appearance of red spots. If you are allergic to alcohol, red spots can appear not only on the hands or on the face, but also on the neck, chest, legs and other parts of the body. If you ignore this red signal of danger and do not slow down in time (in the sense, do not put down a glass, glass or glass), then most likely other signs of alcohol allergy will not keep you waiting: noticeable itching, peeling of the skin, runny nose, redness of the face and headache. pain (due to a strong blood flow to the head), swelling of the throat, vomiting, or even loss of consciousness. In addition, it is not uncommon for alcohol allergies to swell lips, asthmatic symptoms that turn into choking, tachycardia, gastrointestinal dysfunction, and temperature and/or blood pressure fluctuations.
How to get rid of alcohol allergy?
Alas, no way. If you already have this rubbish, then it will be with you for the rest of your life. In this situation, medicine is powerless. In any case, today there are simply no means that can finally and irrevocably eradicate any allergy. But at the disposal of mankind there are a number of methods that allow not only to cope with the direct manifestations of this insidious disease, but also, with a greater or lesser degree of probability, to prevent its recurrence.
Dealing with symptoms
When the first signs of an allergy appear in one of the participants in an alcoholic adventure (of course, if it didn’t come to suffocation and fainting – in this case, you can’t do without calling an ambulance), first of all, you need to thoroughly rinse the victim’s stomach with cold water. Then, you should give the poor fellow a good dose of a sorbent (for example, activated charcoal). This proven remedy will provide the primary cleansing of the body from toxins that provoked an allergic process. At the same time, at this stage, in no case should you give the victim even the most harmless antihistamines; since any allergy pills and alcohol are categorically incompatible.
The next day, the unfortunate victim of his own excitable immune system is recommended to sit on a diet of kefir or some other fermented milk products in order to finally get rid of toxins. Then, if the primary symptoms of the disease persist, you can take a mild antihistamine (for example: Zyrtec, Suprastin, Cetrin, Letizen, Zodak, Lomilan or Feksadin). However, it should be remembered that under no circumstances should the mentioned drugs be combined with sorbents. Additionally, it will not be superfluous to moisten the reddened, flaky or itchy area of the skin with a decoction of calendula, chamomile or mint. In this situation, the Suprastin solution also proved itself well (one crushed tablet per 10 ml of water).
Well, of course, it would not be superfluous to see a doctor, because, as you yourself understand, they don’t joke with such things. Thanks to a comprehensive examination, the specialist will be able to identify the causative agent of the disease and prescribe remedies that allow you to completely rid the body of unwanted substances and partly weaken the allergic reaction in the future.
preventive measures
The simplest way to avoid the disease of interest to us, as it is not difficult to understand, is the complete rejection of alcohol in all its manifestations. However, the vast majority of people will consider this solution to the problem inhumane. Therefore, there are less radical, but at the same time more risky options.
As we remember, the causative agent of allergic processes in the body is by no means alcohol. Accordingly, the question arises: to what do we owe such “happiness”? The answer to it will be very diverse. An allergen can be any of the non-ethyl components found in various alcoholic beverages: yeast and hops in beer, fusel oils in strong grain distillates, dyes and preservatives in wine … You should also not discount the effects of various essential oils, synthetic flavors, and even those used in crop production of chemical fertilizers. Moreover, disaster can break out as a result of an unexpected interaction between alcohol and any even the most simple snack.
Finally, allergic manifestations are likely to be inevitable when drinking fun drinks while undergoing treatment for serious diseases. Remember that most medicines are drugs that cause allergies to alcohol. And the first place in this series is occupied by various kinds of antibiotics.
Thus, you can significantly reduce the repeated risk of running into an alcohol allergy if you follow a few simple rules:
Drink exclusively high-quality drinks – without dyes, preservatives, flavors, fusel oils and other similar abominations. In the end, you did not find yourself in the garbage heap.
Refuse alcohol, which accompanied the first case of allergies.
Exclude the type of drinks that have previously caused allergic manifestations in one of the relatives, since the disease may be hereditary.
Try taking a small dose of allergy-related alcohol with another snack.
Avoid all sorts of cocktails. Their complex nature increases the likelihood of meeting with an allergent “friend”.
Completely refuse libations during the course of drug treatment.
And most importantly, always remember that health is above all.
Relevance: 08.10.2016
Tags: Tips and life hacks