An allergy or intolerance to alcohol is not always responsible for symptoms occurring after drinking alcohol. An allergic reaction might not occur the first time a person encounters an allergen. However, they can come on suddenly, and a person could develop an alcohol allergy at any point in their life. If someone has a true allergy to alcohol, they should avoid the substance entirely. People with alcohol intolerance could still consume alcohol, although they will likely experience side effects. If you have an allergy, your immune system over-reacts to contact with a trigger or “allergen.” If you have an alcohol allergy, your immune system treats alcohol as a threat.
Why Do I Experience Nasal Congestion After Drinking Alcohol?
If you’re frequently sneezing after drinking, you must see a doctor as there may be an underlying condition that needs to be treated. If you find that warm drinks make you sneeze, try chilling them before you drink them. This will help to soothe the mucous membranes in your nose and prevent them from swelling and triggering a sneeze. Spirits such as vodka and gin can also cause sneezing due to the presence of histamines. In addition, some people find that the alcohol in these drinks irritates their nose, leading to sneezing. Like wine, beer also contains histamines, which can trigger sneezing.
Irritants and Other Sneezing Triggers
People can sneeze when they suddenly expose themselves to bright light or look at the sun, known as photic sneeze reflex. Some evidence suggests that photic sneeze reflex is at least partially genetic.. A sneeze starts when an irritant enters the nose, explained Dr. Purkey. The invader becomes entangled in nose hair, which stimulates nerve endings. Then, the nerves send a message to the medulla, which is part of the brain stem. The medulla controls essential involuntary functions like breathing, blood pressure, and heart rate.
- For example, if a bacterial infection causes sneezing, a provider may prescribe antibiotics.
- If you feel sick as soon as you finish your drink, your body might not be able to process alcohol.
- Aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH2) is an enzyme that your body uses to digest alcohol.
Yellowing of your skin and eyes
Dilated blood vessels can cause inflammation and swelling in the nasal passages. This can lead to sneezing as well as a runny or stuffy nose. In some people, drinking alcohol may also trigger an allergic reaction, which can cause sneezing and other symptoms. An alcohol intolerance, or ingredients like histamines in alcohol cause an allergy-like reaction in drinkers, swelling the sneezing after drinking alcohol the mucosal membranes in the nasal passages and airways.
- But it takes a lot of concentration to override your body’s natural response.
- Colds cause mucus production, which in turn stimulates various nerves within the nasal mucous membranes.
- Shaw says symptoms may affect the skin, breathing and circulatory system.
- 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.
- After just a few “tiny sips,” thinking she will be fine, Brown said she ends up “going down the same dreadful path Jack Daniels led me down.”
- And acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) may cause serious liver damage if taken with too much alcohol.
- The body produces antibodies, and when they encounter alcohol, they set off a systemic allergic reaction.
- This is likely because wine contains histamines, which trigger allergies.
- Drinking too much too quickly can affect breathing, heart rate, body temperature and gag reflex.
- Dilated blood vessels can cause inflammation and swelling in the nasal passages.
- If you’re frequently sneezing after drinking, you must see a doctor as there may be an underlying condition that needs to be treated.
- Wine contains proteins from grapes, bacteria, and yeast, as well as sulfites and other organic compounds.
- If you’re allergic to any of the ingredients in a mixed drink, you may want to avoid it.
Chronic heavy drinking can cause alcoholic hepatitis, which is the inflammation of your liver. One common sign of alcoholic hepatitis is jaundice, where the skin and whites of your eyes look yellowish. Hence, drinking alcohol makes it harder for your immune system to gear up and mount a defense response against invading pathogens and viruses. As a result, you may find yourself having frequent sore throat pains, catching colds and infections more often. Antihistamines, in both oral and nasal forms, are often good treatment choices for sneezing caused by allergic rhinitis. They work against the histamine that is producing the sneezing and runny nose.
Sneezing is a symptom of many conditions, from allergies to infections. But most of the time, it just means your body is protecting itself. If sneezing interferes with your quality of life, or if you develop additional symptoms like fever, congestion or sore throat, it might be time to call your healthcare provider. If you have strange symptoms soon after drinking, your body may not be processing alcohol properly. Excessive acetaldehyde can lead to sickness, an irregular heartbeat and the aforementioned facial flushing. Taylor notes that sometimes an alcohol intolerance is the result of genetics.
