Alcoholic drinks have a natural vasodilatory effect, which causes blood vessels to expand. This can lead to short-term nasal congestion as the blood vessels around your nasal cavity expand, making it harder to breathe normally. First, red wine can cause headaches because it contains high levels of drug addiction treatment compounds called tannins, which inhibit the enzymes that protect the brain from substances that can trigger migraines. When this blood-brain barrier isn’t protected as it should be, the brain is more susceptible to headache-inducing triggers. People with the ALDH2 deficiency are at higher risk for certain types of cancer, including liver cancer.
- In this case, the ethanol isn’t the culprit, but rather another ingredient in your beverage, such as a fermented grain, preservative or other chemical.
- However, alcohol doesn’t contain many nutrients so your body goes straight into processing it for waste removal.
- It is estimated that nearly 540 million people worldwide are affected by the alcohol flush response.
Avoiding Alcohol With a Sinus Infection
- Additionally, you can try using a neti pot, nasal irrigator, or bulb syringe with distilled, sterile, or previously boiled and cooled water to flush out and moisten the nostrils.
- Medications called antihistamines can help treat symptoms of a mild allergic reaction.
- An alcohol intolerance, or ingredients like histamines in alcohol cause an allergy-like reaction in drinkers, swelling the the mucosal membranes in the nasal passages and airways.
- It’s normal to get sick or experience unpleasant symptoms after drinking too much alcohol.
- If you’re unsure whether you have an allergy or intolerance, consult with your healthcare provider.
- Alcohol consumption leads to increased urine production, which can result in fluid loss and dehydration if not compensated with water intake.
Flushing of skin is common in case of alcohol intolerance and many times, even your nose gets stuffy. This often leads to sneezing as the body is unable to tolerate regular intake of alcohol. People who lack certain enzymes in their bodies often get troubled by these problems. This can happen because alcohol dilates blood vessels, making skin appear more flushed. It can also happen in people who have a genetic defect in the aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) gene. People with this defect aren’t able to metabolize alcohol as quickly as others, which leads to a buildup of a compound called acetaldehyde that is known to cause skin flushing.
Women’s Health
As well as feeling a bit dusty, the day after an evening of heavy drinking, you’re not so good at identifying risks and reacting to them. At the beach, intoxication due to alcohol and/or drugs is involved in 23% of drowning deaths with an average blood alcohol concentration of 0.19%. A person with alcohol congestion who is unconscious or unable to wake up is at risk of death. Histamines are chemicals produced by the human body and are found in nearly all tissues. They are responsible for several functions, including communicating messages to the brain, releasing stomach acid for digestion, and helping the body get rid of allergens or injuries. While the body naturally produces histamine, it is also consumed through food and drink.
Treatment
We offer online support to help you quit or cut back, including medication, coaching, and app-based tools. In order to understand why alcohol and sinuses are related, it is important to understand how alcohol is processed in the body. However, alcohol doesn’t contain many nutrients so your body goes straight into processing it for waste removal. Alcohol intolerance happens when the body cannot properly break down alcohol. Alcohol allergy happens when the immune system mistakenly identifies alcohol as congested after drinking alcohol a threat and launches an attack that can affect the entire body.
All three of those alcoholic drinks have something different in them. You said wine and booze don’t do it very much yet beer makes you stuffy. You might try less hopped beers so a Helles Lager vs an IPA and see if one makes you more or less stuffy. Most people have an allergic reaction to the histamines in wine, which causes flushing of the face and neck and nasal congestion.
- Hives can also signal an alcohol-related allergy, so be on the lookout for other symptoms that are exclusive to alcohol intolerance.
- Dr. Tina M. St. John owns and operates a health communications and consulting firm.
- Not much for the weekend or occasional drinker, because who wants to give up a glass of red wine at a dinner party?
Feel Healthier, Lighter & Energized – Naturally
Alcohol intolerance is https://ecosoberhouse.com/ 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. By being mindful about what’s consumed along with alcoholic beverages, individuals can reduce their chances of experiencing unpleasant symptoms like nasal congestion.
