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No alcohol in pollen allergy? Gin and vodka in hay fever?
Experts recommend that you do not consume alcohol for hay fever and pollen allergy, as it may cause or exacerbate allergic symptoms. But according to UK health experts, this warning does not have to apply to all alcoholics alike. Clear spirits such as gin or vodka are therefore often okay for allergy sufferers.
Alcoholic drinks can cause allergic complaints
Around 13 million people in Germany suffer from a pollen allergy. Health experts advise sufferers to abstain from alcoholic beverages, especially during pollen flight, because this not only increases the typical symptoms of hay fever, such as watery and itchy eyes, but even triggers them. But apparently not all drinks are equally bad. While drinks such as wine have a particularly negative effect on people with allergies, clear spirits such as gin or vodka are barely symptomatic.
Alcoholic beverages can increase or even trigger symptoms in people with hay fever. However, drinks like Gin Tonic or Vodka Lemon seem to have little negative impact on pollen allergy sufferers. (Image: chandlervid85 / fotolia.com) Clear spirits without negative effects for allergy sufferers
Gin is one of the most popular alcoholic drinks of the British. Therefore, it is not surprising that the country's media are enthusiastic about what the health experts of "Asthma UK" have found out.
Newspapers like the Independent even report that consuming gin tonic can reduce hay fever symptoms.
Quite so great are the effects of the popular long drink but not then. But after all, clear spirits like gin or vodka - in contrast to various other alcoholics - at least have no negative effects on the health of allergy sufferers.
It is not the alcohol itself that is responsible
Alcohol can increase the symptoms of asthma and hay fever. As experts from the UK report, 64 percent of asthma patients in an Asthma UK survey said that consuming certain alcoholic beverages causes symptoms.
The most frequently mentioned was red wine, followed by white wine, beer and cider. The effects can be very different.
"Some people can drink one or two drinks without getting discomfort, while others may have symptoms after only a few swallows," the experts write.
Apparently it is not the alcohol itself, but other substances in the drinks. Among other things, histamine is mentioned, which is mainly contained in red wine and beer in large quantities. This substance is also released by the body during allergic reactions and intensifies the symptoms.
In addition, some alcoholic beverages such as wine are added sulfites. Some asthmatics respond to these preservatives with symptoms ranging from mild wheezing to a potentially life-threatening asthma attack.
No excessive alcohol consumption
The report from "Asthma UK" points out that it is also possible to obtain low sulphite wines, especially from producers specializing in organic wines.
The better option is clear spirits like gin or vodka. These contained little histamine and sulfites.
However, the experts point out that the respective triggers can change. Sometimes, drinks trigger allergic reactions that were previously drunk for a long time without any problems.
The new findings should in principle not contribute to a higher or uncontrolled alcohol consumption. Anyone who drinks too much, according to the experts generally cares less about his health. (Ad)