What causes my stuffy nose after drinking alcohol?

Question

This is an odd question, but one that I have wondered about for a long time.

When I drink alcohol there is a magic sweet spot where my nose gets very stuffy feeling and I sound stuffy while talking. Drinking less and drinking more result in a clear nose and no stuffiness. It is clearly inflammation as blowing my nose results in no production and nasal spray such as Afrin alleviates it.

Here is what I have found:

• Beer: results in a stuffy nose after 1.5 - 2 beers. It clears after 3 - 4, like clockwork
• Wine: I don't drink it often but have noticed stuffiness on par with beer when I drink white wine. I have not experimented enough with red wine, but have not observed stuffiness after 3 - 4 glasses.
• Liquor: For the most part, stuffiness does not occur with liquor. The occasions it does, it takes more (3 - 4 drinks) to get stuffy and clears relatively quickly

NOTE: I have not observed stuffiness from other non-alcoholic drinks and I do not have any known food allergies.

What is it about alcoholic drinks that could cause this reaction, and why would liquors/red wine be less likely to cause it than beer and white wine?

Answer 1

I'll keep it simple. All three of those alcoholic drinks have something different in them. You said wine and booze don't do it very much yet beer makes you stuffy. Hops are very well know to cause stuffiness and allergic reaction. It could be more than hops, it could be something to do with malt. You might try less hopped beers so a Helles Lager vs an IPA and see if one makes you more or less stuffy. Most people have an allergic reaction to the histamines in wine, which causes flushing of the face and neck and nasal congestion.

You could take an anti-histamine (Zyrtec or Benadryl) before you drink and see if that helps.