Alcohol flush reaction

Alcohol intolerance, or alcohol intolerance refers to an impaired metabolism of alcohol which various causes may underlie. Among groups of people in certain regions of the earth ( for example Asians ) has an alcohol intolerance often genetic causes. May also occur (especially the liver) and for alcohol intolerance due to excessive consumption and the resulting organ damage. The chemical intolerance which occurs when certain drugs have been taken before or during the alcohol Konsumes exists.

Causes

Causes of Alcohol intolerance can be diverse, but mostly is a mutated gene before that ensures that insufficient amounts of the enzymes alcohol dehydrogenase ( ADH) or aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 ( ALDH ) are expressed and that the enzymes work only very inefficient and are unstable. In detail, this is done for ALDH by the faulty replacement of glutamic acid with lysine in the amino acid sequence of the enzyme.

Since ADH and ALDH but essential for the breakdown of alcohols and their degradation products, the aldehydes are, it comes through the mutated gene for ethanol enjoyment at a slow sinking increased and acetaldehyde ( when ALDH is affected by the Geneva Ehler ) or a slowly declining alcohol levels (if ADH or ALDH are affected by the genetic defect ).

The ALDH gene defect of the ethanol from the non-affected ADH may be good at first decomposed. The ethanol degradation will only work so well until too much of the degradation product - acetaldehyde here - is present, which can not be degraded by the absence of ALDH. Due to the high concentration of acetaldehyde, the ADH no longer give the newly produced acetaldehyde in the body, but is inhibited by this. This can degrade no further ethanol - it comes to intolerance. Also, can therefore conclude that the ALDH -induced intolerance is particularly problematic, since here there next to the slowly declining levels of ethanol also a very high acetaldehyde. However, both substances are powerful poisons, thus the body in two ways may be damaged.

In particular Asian nations such as Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese and Koreans show the symptoms of alcohol intolerance is relatively common. The reasons for the significant tolerance difference compared to, for example, Europeans will still disputed in science, but it is assumed that the strong selection pressure in Europe people preferred to medieval times with pronounced tolerance to alcohol in general. In Asia, on the other hand played the alcohol at this time no such a dominant role.

Certain drugs ( eg isoniazid ) also can reduce the function of the liver and lead to a temporary alcohol intolerance. These sounds, however, as opposed to genetic, again ( do not exist unless on these metabolic pathways degradation problems can occur which by a damaged liver or kidneys) after the removal of appropriate medication from.

Symptoms

The following symptoms may appear in different forms in case of intolerance to alcohol:

  • Facial redness, swelling,
  • Headache,
  • Increased heart rate,
  • Stomach problems
  • Heat radiation / hyperthermia ( long-term stoppage of the vasodilator / blood flow-increasing effect of ethanol )
  • Day-long " Entkatern " after last consumption ( Muskel-/Gliederschmerzen )

These are generally the same symptoms, which occur in a healthy person after consuming alcohol. However, these manifest themselves there in heavily toned down version, or only at much higher volumes of alcohol.

  • Disease symptom
  • Allergology
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