Beer Allergy Symptoms

If you enjoy a nice, cold beer once in a while but suffer an instant flush, nasal congestion or hives when you drink a beer, you could be suffering from beer allergy symptoms. There are three causes to a beer allergy and the symptoms range from mild to severe. If you suspect a beer allergy, it is important to talk to you doctor right away and treat it as you would any other allergy.

A beer allergy or intolerance can be from three different causes. The first, as explained by Food Reactions, is an alteration in the Aldehyde Dehydrogenase (ALDH) gene. When people ingest alcohol, the body must break it down. To do this the body relies on the enzyme ALDH to break the alcohol down into acetic acid, a product which the body can use as energy. People who have an alteration (called polymorphism) to ALDH cannot break down alcohol. Interestingly, this alteration is found much more in people of Asian background and has been proven to protect them from the development of alcoholism.

The second beer allergy comes in the form of a food allergy. It may not be an allergy to alcohol itself, but in the way the alcohol is prepared. Most alcohol contains grapes, yeast, hops, barley and wheat substances. Auckland Allergy Clinic describes the most common beer causing allergies as malted barley, hops and yeast. A person with an allergy to any of these things is likely to experience an allergic reaction to beer.

Food Reactions says that the third possible beer allergy is an allergy to alcohol itself. This is very rare, but severe. Since the body produces small amounts of alcohol on its own, the reason that an allergy to alcohol occurs is not known.

Beer allergy symptoms can vary and be caused from several things. In people with an impaired ALDH enzyme they will likely experience flushing, nasal congestion, heart palpitations, heat sensation, headache, abdominal problems and symptoms of reduced blood pressure. This is often called "Asian flushing syndrome." The Auckland Allergy Clinic says symptoms of an allergy to barley, hops, yeast and wheat in the beer making process can be facial tingling, swelling of the lips and tongue, coughing, chest tightness, fainting, hives and increased asthma symptoms. If a person is allergic to alcohol itself, Food Reactions says that a dose as small as a mouthful of beer can cause breathing problems, stomach problems, a severe rash and cause one to collapse (anaphylaxis).

If you suspect that you have an allergy to beer, you should discuss it with your doctor immediately. There are skin tests you can get to check for specific allergies. Allergy Capital says that people who suffer from a beer allergy should manage it in the same way any other allergy is managed. They should identify and avoid what causes their allergy, as well as take additional measures for severe symptoms.