Alcohol allergies can cause your throat to feel tight, as if it’s closing up a bit. You can experience wheezing, shortness of breath, and coughing fits because of this, says Dr. Glatter. What’s more, “people with sinus problems may also develop more pronounced upper respiratory symptoms, including nasal congestion, stuffiness, and facial pressure” when they drink, he adds. It is important to know that alcohol intolerance can lead to a drop in blood pressure, which can bring on a feeling of faintness or dizziness. Dr. Joseph Volpicelli M.D., head of Volpicelli Addiction Center, tells Bustle that this is normally a pretty severe reaction, and shouldn’t happen if you just have a mild intolerance. Gas and bloating have a lot of other possible causes, though, so for a more certain diagnosis, talk to your doctor about your symptoms.
- When you have alcohol, it causes the blood vessels throughout your body to dilate or expand.
- But the good news is that understanding what might be behind these unexpected reactions can help you put them in perspective and take any appropriate actions.
- The bad news is that you can’t really do much about it, or that unwelcome nasal congestion that comes along with it, aside from just not drinking alcohol.
- If you start to experience swelling while drinking, be warned.
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Who Is at Risk of Nonallergic Rhinitis?
Check out these best-sellers and special offers on books and newsletters from Mayo Clinic Press. If you’re waking up congested without any other symptoms and are struggling to pinpoint a cause, your sleeping position might be to blame. “Air with why am i stuffy after drinking little moisture will often cause our bodies to increase mucus production to compensate for the dry air entering our lungs. This mucus can lead to congestion,” Dr. Anwar says. If you suspect an environmental irritant like dust is to blame, improving your indoor air quality by getting rid of the culprit should solve your congestion problem. Sometimes larger turbinates are simply the result of “normal anatomic variation,” Dr. Young says (aka, you’re just born that way).
- Allergy symptoms that affect breathing or have the potential to block your airway, such as swelling in the mouth or of the tongue, can be life-threatening.
- Plagued by morning congestion along with facial pain or tenderness, thick green or yellow snot and bad breath?
- People often mistake alcohol allergies for alcohol intolerance.
- Gustatory rhinitis is the medical term for a runny nose or sneezing you may get after you eat hot or spicy foods.
Related Conditions
Oral decongestants are not usually used unless nasal antihistamines and nasal glucocorticoids haven’t worked for you. Oral decongestants can help with stuffiness but they have side effects such as increased blood pressure, nervousness, and difficulty sleeping. These steroid nasal sprays are available over-the-counter under brand names such as Flonase Allergy Relief and Nasacort. The maximum effect won’t be achieved for several days or weeks. Like antihistamines, these sprays are most effective if they’re used regularly. This rhinitis develops with the overuse of over-the-counter decongestant nasal sprays or other medications.
How to Clear a Stuffy Nose at Night
The only way to prevent these uncomfortable reactions is to avoid alcohol. But experts do know that nonallergic rhinitis happens when blood vessels in the nose expand. These blood vessels fill the tissue that lines the inside of the nose.
If you think you might have alcohol intolerance, you can weigh the pros and cons — depending on the severity and cause of your symptoms — and simply have fewer drinks. If you experience any of these symptoms after drinking, talk to your doctor about the best way to move forward. What’s more concerning, however, is that some medications can lead to uncomfortable (even dangerous) side effects when combined with alcohol.
