Many people are curious to learn more about alcohol allergies and the symptoms of an alcohol allergy. Most of us enjoy a drink or two and even consume food products without realizing that they contain alcohol.
A number of medications that are commonly prescribed for cough and cold generally contain some percentage of alcohol. So, unknowingly we consume alcohol in one form or the other without realizing that we do so. The quantities and forms may vary, but alcohol is present in quite a few things.
In fact, alcohol can also cause an allergy and most people are not even aware of it. Some people think that it is merely a myth. However, it is absolutely true and there is in fact something known as alcohol allergy and you should be aware of some of the symptoms of an alcohol allergy.
Sometimes, alcohol allergy is also termed as alcohol intolerance. Very often, people draw parallels to lactose intolerance. While some people are allergic to alcohol, the others are not, and the reason behind this is actually pretty simple.
Food enters the digestive tract and is broken down to simple sugars that are used up by the body. When the process of digestion takes place there are a number of digestive juices that are produced by the body and this plays a major role in the breakdown of food.
There is an important enzyme called the aldehyde dehydrogenase that helps in breaking down alcohol into acetic acid or vinegar. In some people, this enzyme is not produced or is produced in inadequate quantities. When this happens, the body becomes intolerant or allergic to alcohol.
One of the classic symptoms of an alcohol allergy is acute nausea. If the body does not produce this enzyme, then the signals that are sent by the body indicate that alcohol is an alien substance and it will be ejected out of the body and this causes nausea.
Other symptoms of an alcohol allergy include eruption of rashes on the skin and it could resemble hives, headaches, itching etc. Digestive disorders may include abdominal cramping, pain, heartburn etc.