Beer Allergy- What are the symptoms and how to treat beer allergy

Allergic to beer? Not many have it, and sometimes beer isn’t the cause but the ingredients it has in it.

Beer has a long history passing from one civilization to another. The beer dates back to the 5th millennium bc in Iran, and the traces can be found in the ancient history of Egypt and Mesopotamia. It is the third most consumed drink after water and tea.

Types of beer

There are different types of beer. Traditionally, beer has been made from malted cereal grain (like barley), getting its flavor from hops brewed by slow fermentation. Over time, the beer has evolved, though.

Based on the fermentation process, beer is categorized into Ale and Lager. Ale is brewed with top-fermenting yeast (Saccharomyces Cerevisiae) and lager with bottom-fermented yeast (Saccharomyces Uvarum).

Beer allergy

Many are allergic to foods, which could also mean you can be allergic to beer. Beer allergy is not that common, but those who are allergic to beer are possibly allergic to the ingredient that the beer has.

The beer has essential ingredients like water, malted barley, yeast, and hops. The beer ingredients may additionally include based on the kind of beer you consume following:

• Ginger beer: Ginger beer consists of ginger spice, yeast, lemon, and sugar. If you are facing any symptoms, you have a ginger beer allergy.
• Gluten-free beer: Gluten-free beer is for those who suffer from gluten beer allergy. The ingredients include rice, millet, buckwheat, maize (corn), and sorghum.
• Root beer: Root beer can be alcoholic or non-alcoholic, with or without caffeine. The root beer uses the Sassafras trees or the vine Smilax ornate (sarsaparilla).
• IPA beer: India pale ale beer was made in England and may confuse people because of the name.

The British IPA beer has grain (pale malt, Maris otter, caramel, biscuit malt, and crystal malt), hops, whirl floc tablet, and yeast. The American IPA beer ingredients are Columbus Hops, Chinook, Citra, Cascade, Centennial, Carapils, Crystal 45, pale malt, Warrior, Simcoe, and Amarillo.

Corona beer: Rice, corn, hops, yeast, barley malt, and propylene glycol alginate produce a Corona beer.

If you are allergic to beer, we recommend you quit drinking beer or find out what ingredients are triggering the allergy to beer. There is no best beer for allergy sufferers. You can consult with the doctor, as any ingredients can trigger the allergy.

Am I allergic to beer?

Few are allergic to beer in the real sense; most people are allergic to the ingredient/s in the beer. About 5 percent of children in the US have a food allergy, and 2 to 3 percent of adults are allergic to food.

In a study conducted on Chinese people with beer allergies, they were sensitive to sorghum or sorghum malt, and nearly 1.2 were allergic to wheat. Wheat is also considered of the top eight food allergens.

Some of the symptoms that can indicate you are allergic to it are:

Hives: Hives, also known as Urticaria or, in layperson’s terms, the beer allergy rash, is the itchy pale red bumps or plaque outbreaks. It can appear on any part of the skin.

The good thing about hives is that they often disappear within 24 hours. However, you should visit a doctor if it lasts more than 24 hours.

Hives after beer could mean beer allergy.

Sneezing: If you start sneezing uncontrollably after having a beer, it is a symptom of beer allergy. It is caused due to the dilation of the nose’s blood vessels, resulting in mucus production and nasal symptoms.

Wheezing: Wheezing is a high-pitched whistle sound that comes out while breathing. It indicates that you may be having difficulty breathing in and out.

Hoarseness: After having a beer, if you feel pain in the vocal cord and abnormal change in voice pitch and volume, it indicates you are allergic to the beer and referred to as hoarseness.

Abdominal pain, bloating, and diarrhea: The increase in the level of histamine triggers inflammation in the digestive system because of beer consumption. Histamine is a chemical in our body that is a part of the immune system.

The immune system overreacts to the substance and activates the defense mechanism by creating antibodies to immunoglobulin E, or IgE. The abdominal pain, bloating, and diarrhea are signs that your body is allergic to gluten, and you should avoid products involving gluten. But, of course, you always have the option of gluten-free beer.

Nausea and vomiting: If you have an uneasiness in your stomach and most likely feel you would throw up after having a beer, it is a sign of Nausea and vomiting caused by it.

It may indicate a beer allergy or that you are drinking more than the capacity your body can handle.

The tightness of the chest: The tightness of the chest, also known as the “holiday heart syndrome” (a term coined back in 1978) caused due to irregular heart rhythms. It is usually caused by several days of heavy drinking.

Heavy drinking can be quantified as three or more drinks daily for women and four or more for men. Too many beverages seem to cause short circuits in the heart’s rhythm.

Flushing: Have you noticed your face going red after having a few drinks? It’s “flushing.” 36% of East Asians (Japanese, Vietnamese, Chinese, and Koreans) show the sign of flushing.

The red face after drinking also indicates that the person may develop high blood pressure and Esophageal Cancer.