Man develops allergy to alcohol, told to change brand

Specialists from Hyderabad have identified a 36-year-old businessman from Agra, who tested positive for alcohol allergy, which means that every time this individual consumes alcohol, he risks facing severe form of allergies

Hyderabad: Have you ever come across instances of individuals developing allergy to alcohol? Yes, you read it right. People can potentially develop serious allergies right after consuming alcohol, that too from a specific brand that they like. Perhaps for the first time in Telangana, specialists from Hyderabad have identified a 36-year-old businessman from Agra, who tested positive for alcohol allergy, which means that every time this individual consumes alcohol, he risks facing severe form of allergies.

A few months ago, after attending a gala party in Agra, the patient started reporting symptoms such as flushing and redness of the face, rashes all over the body, heaviness of the head and chest, dry cough, and giddiness. Later, he was rushed to a local emergency unit of a private hospital where he was stabilised and discharged.

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After multiple visits to different hospitals across India, the patient ended up at Hyderabad-based Aswini Allergy Centre, where he underwent an Alcohol Oral Challenge Test and tested positive for alcohol allergy. This process involves the patient consuming the suspected alcohol in a clinical setting under medical supervision the following day after undergoing an allergy test.

“There could be many more undiagnosed cases of alcohol allergy. Due to lack of awareness about this condition, many suffer without realising that alcohol does have the potential to trigger allergies,” says the chief allergist from Aswini Allergy Centre, Dr Vyakarnam Nageshwar.

Dr Nageshwar and his team administered a modified allergen skin prick test for alcohol along with 80 other common allergens. “The results of the test showed that the patient had high blood histamine levels, high sensitisation to groundnuts, masala antigens, chicken, mutton, house dust mite, and mosquito. He was also suffering from undiagnosed asthma and allergic urticaria as his computerised Lung Function Test (LFT) suggested asthmatic changes,” he said.

The final report concluded that the patient had an alcohol allergy. He was advised to avoid the brand of alcohol to which he was allergic, dilute the alcohol before drinking, and avoid high-histamine foods and snacks while drinking. The patient was also advised to avoid alcohol brands that came packaged with cork-based closure lids besides taking an antihistamine tablet 30 minutes before drinking alcohol to decrease the exacerbation of symptoms.