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You Should Know These Asian Alcohol Allergy Facts

29th September, 2010 - Posted by health news - No Comments

Asian flush, a condition that affects millions of people, is more commonly known as alcohol allergy. Obviously then, anyone who has the condition will experience a variety of different symptoms after drinking alcohol. If you think some of your symptoms may be signs of an allergy, you need to know some basic facts about it.

#1- Asians have no monopoly of the condition.

There are studies that confirm that half of all Asians have this allergic condition. You can easily be misled into believing that only Asians suffer from it. The truth of the matter is that people from other racial origins can have it too. To find out if you might be one of the thousands with the condition, try drinking a shot or two. If any symptoms come out after a few minutes, you are likely to have allergy to alcohol.

It doesn’t matter who gets affected the most. Anyone who has it will most definitely end up embarrassed and frustrated. There is nothing great about looking like a berry right in front of friends or business partners. You can just stay away from the alcoholic drinks to avoid the symptoms but that would mean missing the enjoyment.

#2- There is a lot of discomfort when symptoms break out.

The reddening of the skin, especially around the face is the first and most common symptom of the condition. It is not the only one however. The color quality can actually become splotchy and rashes that are elevated above the skin may appear. These will start to feel itchy and warm. Other than the common skin signs, other alcohol allergy symptoms include difficulty breathing, nausea and headaches. Pulse rates are also usually quick.

You may not want to pay attention to the signs and symptoms, thinking you can get away with them. You shouldn’t ignore them though. The symptoms cause a great deal of discomfort and the itchiness and heat can sometimes become unbearable. Moreover, anyone who looks at you can tell something isn’t right with you.

#3- The cause is biological in nature.

The real key to getting a drink without incident is rooted in biology. Just like everything else we eat or drink, alcoholic beverages are metabolized by the body. If you have an allergy to alcohol however, the normal processing of alcoholic drinks is impaired. This is because the enzyme aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 is inactive in Asian flush sufferers. The toxic substance acetaldehyde that then comes with alcoholic drinks remains intact. This is what can lead to the allergic reactions.

Because nature is to blame, you may not be able to find a sure shot solution for your condition. There are some people who drink aspirin or other medicines and claim to find some relief after the intake. There is no medical proof of the effectiveness of these medications though especially since they are meant to relieve other conditions. You might do more damage to yourself by self-medicating.

No one wants to have an alcohol allergy. If the red skin starts to show though, it’s an absolute must to try to find correct information about the condition. Information is simply your best weapon against the symptoms.