Alcohol can increase asthma and hay fever

Alcohol can increase symptoms of asthma and hay fever. Those affected should therefore avoid alcoholic beverages.

(03.05.2010)Allergic and asthma patients should avoid alcohol, say physicians of the German Society of Pneumology and Respiratory Medicine (DGP). For complaints such as cough, itching, sneezing or headaches can be exacerbated after consuming alcohol. In this case, alcohol as such is not the problem, but the contained histamine which are formed for the production of alcoholic beverages. Professor Dieter Köhler of the DGP said: "Histamines are also known to be the signal substances that are released during an allergic reaction and cause the typical allergic symptoms, but wines and beers also contain sulfur compounds (sulfites), which we also know Asthma and other allergic complaints can trigger ".

Red and white wines are particularly likely to increase allergic symptoms, according to some studies. For unknown reasons, women are twice as likely to be affected as men. It turns out the patient with asthma, hay fever or bronchitis after drinking alcohol often suffer from sneezing, runny nose and discomfort in the lower respiratory tract.

Histamine is not only found in alcoholic beverages. Thus, histamine can also be found in many cheeses, yeast products such as cakes and bread. Generally, it can be said that much histamine is found in foods that have been stored for too long or ripened. These include, for example, salami, smoked ham, cheese and sauerkraut. Patients should therefore change their eating habits and look for a low-histamine diet. Food should be consumed as fresh as possible. (Sb)

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