Alcohol And Asthma - What's The Connection?

Author: Joe Fowler Time for reading: ~1 minutes Last Updated: August 08, 2022

In this article, learn more about Alcohol And Asthma - What's The Connection?. Alcohol carries a potential risk of an asthma attack..

Asthma is a disease that occurs with chronic inflammation and hypersensitivity of the bronchial tree, and is a consequence of various irritants or other provoking factors. Upon contact with the irritant or at a provocative moment, a reaction occurs in which there is a blockage and breathing becomes difficult.

Although there are medications to control the symptoms of the disease, there is no cure for it. It is therefore important that those affected take steps to prevent asthma attacks .

Alcohol and asthma ...

Alcohol is often cited as a contributing factor in triggering asthma symptoms . However, researchers have not yet collected a significant number of studies on the specific relationship between alcohol and asthma .

One of the largest studies in this field was published in 2000 in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology . To this end, Australian researchers are recruiting more than 350 people who have been asked to complete questionnaires to provide information on alcohol- related factors that trigger allergies .

33% of participants reported that alcohol had triggered an asthma attack at least twice. It has also been found that wine is particularly allergenic, and the onset of most alcohol-related asthma symptoms begins within an hour of drinking. Most of the asthma symptoms reported are mild to moderate in severity.

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Researchers highlight two components in alcoholic beverages that are particularly allergenic and can contribute to an asthma attack - sulfites and histamines .

Sulfites are a preservative that is commonly used in wine production , but can also be added to other foods. People with asthma are often particularly sensitive to the effects of sulfites.

Histamine is formed during the fermentation of alcohol and can be found in all types of alcoholic beverages . Allergic reactions are due to this substance. It is no coincidence that medications called "antihistamines" are used for allergies.

Alcohol And Asthma - What's The Connection?

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