Make the smart choice, avoid alcohol

If you have asthma, drinking alcohol could trigger an asthma attack. Alcoholic drinks can trigger a wide range of allergy and allergy-like symptoms, including asthma, along with itching, facial swelling, headache, and cough.

In surveys of asthmatics, more than 40 percent reported the triggering of allergy symptoms following alcoholic drink consumption, while 30 to 35 percent reported worsening of their asthma.

Wine is the most commonly reported trigger for allergic responses. Wine sensitivities are due mainly to histamine and additives like sulphites. While the histamine is associated with triggering sneezing, itching, flushing, headache, and asthma, sulphites may bring on an asthma attack.

The best advice to follow if you have asthma is to abstain from drinking alcohol. If you choose to drink, be sure to follow the daily limit recommended by the U.S. Dietary Guidelines — one drink per day if you are a woman and two if you are a man. A drink is one 12-ounce beer, 5 ounces of wine, 1.5 ounces of 80-proof spirits, or 1 ounce of 100-proof spirits.