Alcohol intolerance or allergy?

[JessieLeong]

hi, i'm 18 and i have beend having occasional alcoholic dinks like wine, beer and alcohol pops since i was 15. i do mean occasional like once every 3-4 months, and don't drink any more than 1 glass of wine. whenever i drink alcohol i get red flushes all over my body within 1-2 minutes, and my face gets a bit swollen(especially the lips) with my eyes going red. i also get dizzy and very very warm, and i can hear my heart fluttering (literally beating very fast and slow and then very fast and then slow). but i have never had a hangover, only one time a had a very bad headache after like an hour i've drunk the glass of wine and find it very hard to go to sleep. and there was only one time i have thrown up when i had 2 large cans of stella artoir (beer). i'm not sure if i have an alcolhol intolerance or allergy.
note: i'm asian

[BobbySoSlo]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asian_glow
Should tell you all you need to know

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
Alcohol flushing is quite common. Alcohol flush reaction is a condition in which the body cannot break down ingested alcohol completely, due to problems in synthesis and genetic coding of the enzyme, acetaldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH2)which is responsible for breaking down acetaldehyde, a product of the metabolism of alcohol.

Also women are more affected by alcohol and can become sick after 2-3 drinks.This is because women break down alcohol more slowly than men because there is a smaller amount of alcohol metabolizing enzyme (alcohol dehydrogenase) in the stomach of women. Because less enzyme is present, more alcohol passes through the stomach to the duodenum, the main alcohol-absorbing portion of the gut. This effect, combined with a different fat/lean body makeup between men and women, leads to higher blood alcohol levels (BACs) in women than men after identical alcoholic drinks
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/health/253257_condor26.html

So pls abstain from alcohol.If it seems impossible for abstainance,then drink moderately on a full stomach, and avoid becoming dehydrated. Food slows transport of the alcohol into the duodenum. The longer alcohol stays in the stomach, the less it can affect you during a party or the next day.

I sincerely hope that helps. Kind regards and pls do keep me posted in case of any additional queries.

[yeovandZ]

For me ,you are allergy of wines or alcoholic beverages...,,,
I have a friend who is allergic to alcohol beverages..,you should see a doctor or stop drinking alcoholic beverages so that you won't suffer from itching and other negative effects of your allergy of alcoholic beverages..,