Though one bad hangover can make anyone feel as though they can’t handle their liquor, the reality is that some people are allergic to alcohol. The Good Place’s Kristen Bell explains she drinks alcohol only once a year, due to the fact that she believes she has an allergy to alcohol. Though an alcohol allergy or alcohol intolerance may be rare, there are many people that experience adverse reactions after consuming an alcoholic beverage. For Kristen Bell, flu-like symptoms follow after drinking almost any alcoholic beverage.

For the past 10 years, Kristen Bell has tried her best to limit her intake of alcohol. Though most people have no problem downing their favorite boozy beverages, Kristen stopped a decade ago after realizing her symptoms were more in line with an allergic reaction than a hangover.

Though drinking alcoholic beverages can easily trigger intense hangovers the following day, in the case of an allergy to alcohol or alcohol intolerance, the body won’t be able to break alcohol down. As a result, anyone that is allergic to alcohol will experience vomiting, nausea, a stuffy nose, flushed face, diarrhea, anaphylaxis, and similar symptoms. As Kristen Bell learned, the best way to avoid such symptoms is to limit or completely avoid alcoholic Beverages.

Is Kristen Bell Allergic to Alcohol?

Many people that find themselves in Kristen Bell’s situation often wonder what their limits are when consuming alcohol. While Kristen Bell admittedly avoids alcohol, she discovered that she experienced no unfortunate symptoms after consuming rosé, which indicates that she may not be allergic to all forms of alcohol. Experts from Premier Allergy believe that alcohol intolerance is related more to the ingredients in a particular beverage rather than the alcohol itself.

If you’ve experienced similar symptoms when drinking certain types of alcoholic beverages, you may be allergic to alcohol. Severe symptoms like pain or allergy attacks are a sign that it’s time to test for alcohol intolerance with professionals from Premier Allergy and Asthma. Doctors are able to use a blood test or skin test to determine exactly how your body responds to alcohol.

The skin test will determine how the body responds to any specific ingredients in an alcoholic beverage. For example, individuals that have adverse reactions to alcohol may be allergic to certain grains in the beer. Likewise, the blood test with Premier Allergy will measure the way one’s immune system responds to certain food and beverages by testing for allergy-type antibodies.

Testing for Alcohol Intolerance

While alcohol intolerance isn’t often as serious of an issue, if consuming alcohol is a regular part of your life, it’s best to make an appointment with the likes of Premier Allergy and Asthma. When preparing for your appointment, be sure to make a list of symptoms, personal information, any medications you are on, as well as questions you may have regarding alcohol intolerance.

During an appointment for alcohol intolerance with Premier Allergy and Asthma, doctors often ask patients about their specific reactions, when these symptoms first occurred, the severity of these symptoms, as well as questions about any medication you may have tried on your own.

While there isn’t a way to cure genetic alcohol intolerance, doctors can use the results of an allergy test to improve your quality of life. In Kristen Bell’s case, doctors can identify what she may or may not be allergic to, allowing her to pick and choose which types of beverages to avoid. If you find yourself in the same situation, it’s best to avoid alcohol completely until you receive the results from your allergy tests