Alcohol, alcohol, alcohol. All year round, many of us find a reason to drink alcohol and there is nothing wrong with that. But what if you have an alcohol sensitivity?! This is when it could be bad because you will experience a range of sensitivity symptoms which could affect your life both mentally and physically. So, could that beer with your work colleague actually be causing you more harm than good? Continue reading to find out.
If you are experiencing symptoms like a bloated stomach, constant headache or are feeling nauseous then you may be suffering from alcohol sensitivity. This is when you may have overindulged on a certain item and your body is now struggling to digest that ingredient. So, is that bottle of wine or that beer in a bar actually causing your allergy or intolerance symptoms? Well, let’s learn the basics first…
What is an alcohol sensitivity?
A sensitivity is when the body reacts in a negative way when you are trying to digest a certain food item. This can occur for many reasons, it could be that your body is short of the necessary digestive enzymes for the food item that it is trying to digest, or it is struggling to take the nutrients from it properly.
Alcohol sensitivity symptoms
Common symptoms of sensitivity to alcohol include:
- Stomach pain
- Bloating
- Rashes
- Brain fog
Alcohol sensitivity causes
Within various types of alcohol, there are many ingredients, all of which can cause your body to experience symptoms if you do have a sensitivity or intolerance to them. This includes wheat, grapes, and other items like yeast, so it is important that you take a sensitivity test to diagnose the root problem of the symptoms you’re experiencing.
Alcohol sensitivity diagnosis, treatment, and prevention
As mentioned above, the quickest way to diagnose any sensitivities is by taking a sensitivity test. Alternatively, you can opt for an elimination diet which will guide you through which foods sensitivities cause you the most symptoms.
Alcohol intolerance vs alcohol sensitivity
Alcohol intolerance and sensitivity are not the same thing. Sensitivity produces an immune response and has mild symptoms. While alcohol intolerance is referred to when the body can’t digest ingredients present in the drink, and this is generally more serious than having a sensitivity.
Alcohol allergy or alcohol sensitivity?
The difference between food allergies and sensitivities is important to detect. In many cases, an allergy is hereditary and so if your parents or someone else in your family has an allergy to an ingredient used to make alcohol then it is likely that you will too. A sensitivity can happen depending on someone’s diet and lifestyle, or simply overindulgence.
Alcohol allergy symptoms are generally more severe than alcohol sensitivity symptoms – common symptoms are:
- Rashes
- Difficulty breathing
- Stomach cramps
- Nausea or vomiting
- Diarrhoea
- Swelling
- Dizziness
Find out if you may have an alcohol sensitivity by ordering your test here. If you would like to know more about food sensitivities, then our customer service advisors are available via LiveChat on www.allergytest.co.
