Getting Rid of Skin Rashes Caused By Alcohol Consumption
When you have a few alcoholic drinks, do you notice that your skin suffers from extensive rashes? Most people don’t realize that this skin redness, as well as itchiness, burning, or painful sensations, might be caused directly by alcohol abuse and intolerance.
You may ask: What causes a skin rash from alcohol abuse, and how to treat a skin rash from alcohol abuse?
Skin reactions from alcohol can be caused by genetic sensitivities to alcohol, an intolerance, a rare allergy, drug reactions, pre-existing rosacea, or underlying liver disease. Most rashes will go away when the alcohol leaves your system, but swelling and itching could be signs of help needed for an allergy.
Purpose Healing Center is a longstanding JCAHO-accredited leader for rehabs in Arizona and the Southwest, and can help you quit drinking excessively, triggering uncomfortable skin rashes. When you’re ready to take a step away from the bottle, give our enrollment team a call. We can help you find a location where you can detox and receive assistance.
Keep reading to learn more about the overlap between skin rashes and alcohol abuse, as well as how to mitigate this experience.
What Causes Alcohol-Related Skin Reactions?
Drinking alcohol is known for an array of symptoms that can cause discomfort and alarm. When you experience a skin rash, most people don’t immediately associate it with alcohol intake, though. The truth is that your immune system can react to alcohol consumption with allergic reactions, not all of which require medical attention.
What are the leading causes of skin rashes among those who drink alcohol more than they should?
Could You Have Alcohol Sensitivity Due to Genetics?
One of the first causes of rashes related to alcohol use is simple: genetics. Your body may be a bit more sensitive than someone else’s when it comes to processing large quantities of booze. In other words, it may be more of an alcohol intolerance than any major systemic issue.
Consider how your body responds when you take that first drink. If you flush easily or your skin warms quickly, it may be a sign that your rash is related to genetics and that nothing can be done.
Are You Mixing Alcohol Use with Other Drugs for Adverse Effects?
Long-term medications for mental or physical health issues can cause uncomfortable skin reactions as well. Even if you’re just taking a commonly prescribed antibiotic for a minor issue, drug reactions could lead to these more unpleasant symptoms.
If you’re taking a new medication, be sure to talk with your healthcare professional about how drinking will impact you. Facial flushing might be more common with new prescriptions, and sustained alcohol intake can cause minor rashes that go away once alcohol clears your system.
Drug reactions and alcohol abuse often lead to other symptoms as well, including nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain.
Could You Be Having an Alcohol-Induced Allergic Reaction?
One of the more serious causes of alcohol rashes is rare but dangerous: an alcohol allergy. Consuming alcohol with a grain allergy or another condition worsened by alcohol consumption could be a problem that requires immediate medical attention.
You’ll know that it’s an allergic reaction if you have itching and swelling of the lips or tongue after you have had a drink or two. Low blood pressure can also be an indicator of allergic reactions.
Skin redness, rashes, and similar symptoms are usually signs of intolerance rather than allergies. That’s not to say that you couldn’t develop an allergic reaction over time, especially if you have ignored these symptoms of alcohol allergy for quite some time.
Keep in mind that it might not be all alcohol that triggers an allergic reaction. It could be a matter of how the drink was prepared and which ingredients were used. For example, you may be allergic to some sulfites in wine but not all. Allergy testing may help you identify the underlying cause.
Are Alcohol Rashes and Rosacea Symptoms Linked?
Rosacea is a common skin condition that dermatologists and primary care doctors often see in their practices. It isn’t necessarily caused by alcohol consumption, but it can be worsened by it. At first, it may just appear as increased facial flushing and redness in the cheeks.
However, rosacea is often accompanied by more uncomfortable symptoms, such as stinging, burning, and increased sensitivity in the affected area. Some studies point to the fact that rosacea increases alongside alcohol intake.
The good news is that while rosacea can be uncomfortable and may cause embarrassment, it is not a life-threatening condition that requires immediate medical attention.
Do You Have Undiagnosed Liver Disease?
A rash isn’t necessarily a sign that you have skin cancer, but skin reactions can be early signs of liver disease. Rashes caused by liver damage can take multiple forms, so be on the lookout for other signs in addition to these rashes.
Some variations on skin rashes can include:
- Intense itching around the rashes
- Rashes that resemble eczema or psoriasis
- Red palms
- Blistering rashes
Especially when paired with yellowing of the skin or eyes (jaundice), you should seek help for any of the alcohol-related skin issues like these. No matter what type of rash you get, it may be worth it to get an opinion on its origin and what can be done about it.
What Does an Alcohol Intolerance Rash Look Like?
Much like a skin rash caused by undiagnosed liver disease, any type of rash caused by an intolerance to alcohol can have multiple appearances. For most people, it will appear as increased facial redness and warmth. Sometimes, it will travel from the face to the neck, arms, and chest.
However, drinking alcohol can cause more than mere skin flushing. The rashes may resemble traditional rashes, characterized by patchy skin, redness, itchiness, and even hives. They could be raised or flush with the surrounding skin. They might be painful to touch, especially if you try to scratch them.
Alcohol consumed can also lead to general itchiness all over the body, swelling, stinging, tingling, and burning sensations. Pain is common in some of these types of rashes with alcoholic drinks.
Various skin reactions are possible, so be aware of their potential for morphing into other forms over time, especially if you stop avoiding alcohol altogether and start drinking again.
Should You Seek Help for an Alcohol Allergy or Rash?
Unless you have some of the risk factors of an alcohol allergy, you probably don’t need to seek help for a mild skin rash. You might be worried in the moment and perhaps even uncomfortable with itching and burning, but these symptoms typically subside as alcohol clears your system.
Enlarged blood vessels will shrink back to their normal size, allowing blood to flow from the surface of the skin and effectively eliminating the source of the rash. It can take some time for alcohol to leave your body. Age, gender, and weight all play a role in how quickly the body metabolizes alcohol.
Keep in mind that you should seek immediate help if you experience symptoms of an allergy, such as swelling of the face, tongue, and lips. You may experience difficulty swallowing that requires medical attention.
Either way, a skin rash is often a sign that your body cannot handle alcohol consumption, and it should be avoided at all costs. To prevent alcohol intolerance, you should stop drinking alcohol once and for all. Purpose Healing Center can help you take your final drink and get sober for good.
Seek Help at Purpose Healing Center for Alcohol Today
Whether your rash is triggered by an intolerance, a drug reaction, or something else, the best thing you can do is stop drinking alcohol. Purpose Healing Center offers a safe space to land when you need help to put the bottle down forever.
Sober living begins with a thorough medical detox at our comfortable facility, where you will receive around-the-clock care from medical professionals. We’ll help you transition to inpatient or outpatient care when you’re ready for the next step at our JCAHO-accredited facility.
We accept AHCCCS and most private insurance plans in-network, allowing you to get the coverage you need to afford care. Insurance may even cover up to 100 percent of the cost of your treatment.
Give our enrollment team a call today, confidentially, to learn more about our programs and whether they’re the right fit for you!
References
- Morozova, T. V., Mackay, T. F., & Anholt, R. R. (2014). Genetics and genomics of alcohol sensitivity. Molecular genetics and genomics : MGG, 289(3), 253–269.
- Mergenhagen, K. A., Wattengel, B. A., Skelly, M. K., Clark, C. M., & Russo, T. A. (2020). Fact versus Fiction: a Review of the Evidence behind Alcohol and Antibiotic Interactions. Antimicrobial agents and chemotherapy, 64(3), e02167-19.
- Wüthrich B. (2018). Allergic and intolerance reactions to wine. Allergologie select, 2(1), 80–88.
- Li, S., Cho, E., Drucker, A. M., Qureshi, A. A., & Li, W. Q. (2017). Alcohol intake and risk of rosacea in US women. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 76(6), 1061–1067.e2.
- Mujagić, H., Prnjavorac, B., Mujagic, Z., & Festa, G. (2003). Alcohol in alcoholic liver disease is a causative factor for development of allergic skin manifestations. Medicinski arhiv, 57(5-6), 273–278.
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