So the title pretty much sums it up. I work in a brewery and everytime I enter a hop cooler full of hops I end up sneezing shortly after, following a congested nose, nothing to extreme but bothersome at the same time, feels like having a cold. Now I have never had any issues drinking any of the beer we brew so it’s not like I’m allergic to craft beer, it’s something to do with the hops. My question is, do any of you gents ladies have ever had an issue similar to mine? If so is there any allergy medicine you take that helps you out in any way?
Having an allergic reaction to dry hops
- Thread starter Tyrantus
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lump42
The Lajestic Vantrashell of Lob
I don't have a hop allergy that I know of, but plenty of allergies to plants to varying reactions. For mild nasal allergies, I've had luck with nasacort (or the generics). It's a OTC nasal spray decongestant. Or if you have other mild environmental allergies too, allegra or zyrtec work for me too.
I take allegra year round, and this time of year I use nasacort to help with ragweed pollen and hay dust, which give me a similar reaction to you hops reaction.
If it gets worse, it may be worth talking with an allergist to get tested.
My wife gets nailed with pollen allergies. I am only sensitive to one or two tree pollens. I get a stuffy nose for a couple of days a year.
I just repackaged 4 lbs of hops. After I took a shower, I was itching all over for hours. Zyrtec took care of it, but I'm pretty sure it was all of the pollen dust in the hops.
I just repackaged 4 lbs of hops. After I took a shower, I was itching all over for hours. Zyrtec took care of it, but I'm pretty sure it was all of the pollen dust in the hops.
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Is it strictly nasal/sinus? Or does headache figure into an abundance of hops?
Yes it’s mainly nasal/sinus issues, sometimes short breathe, and also skin irritation if Hops rub against me.I don’t get headaches or any abdominal pain. I believe it’s something to do with pollen from hops, like I mentioned before I don’t get any of these symptoms by drinking the beer, I’m guessing dry hops dust got something to do with it too. I have been taking Zyrtec for almost 2 weeks and that hasn’t helped, I will try other allergy medicine that you guys mentioned.
If my wife brushes against my hop bines, she gets a welt, she doesn't treat it.
I don't have any reaction to hops (other than yum!), but malt dust when I grind sometimes makes me sneeze etc.
I don't have any reaction to hops (other than yum!), but malt dust when I grind sometimes makes me sneeze etc.
Northern_Brewer
British - apparently some US company stole my name
Hop cones come from female plants, so there shouldn't be any hop pollen. It could be dust, it could be pollen from other plants sticking to the hops, or it could be the oils. Apparently a lot of the problems that people have with oil seed rape/canola are actually a reaction to the mustard oils they give off, rather than the pollen. I think I may have that problem - I don't seem to get hayfever much, but I do suffer around rape and at times you can just smell its cabbagey badness hanging in the air round here.
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If I overindulge (almost never happens 
) I will get a headache from hoppy beers but not from malty beers. I need to test this about 400,000 more times to get a true representative sample. Or maybe cut back on beer altogether …. NAH!
) I will get a headache from hoppy beers but not from malty beers. I need to test this about 400,000 more times to get a true representative sample. Or maybe cut back on beer altogether …. NAH!
Oldskewl
Well-Known Member
If I drink a lot of IPAs, a patch on the right side of my face turns red and gets bumpy almost like an acne. He skin doctor said it was in the rosacea family.
Curious if anyone gets headaches occasionally while drinking IPAs? I’m referring to headache within the first few drinks. I’ve only met 2 other people with similar issues and it isn’t related to all IPAs or beer in general.
NGD, absolutely. I know at the first sip whether I'm going to get a headache from a beer. I used to think it was only IPAs, but now many Pale Ales and Pilsners have the same issue. Somehow it never occurs with import beers, however. Some of these have reasonably hoppy flavor but seem to be missing whatever compound is seriously poisoning me! I have noticed that dry hopping seems to be almost institutional in microbrewing these days, is there a connection?
I have the same issues as all the above, I did a huge rebadging of 20 pounds of hop pellets and broke out in a rash and had nasal issues the next couple of days, also I found out I'm an acid sufferer so high acid hops could be part of my problem as well as possibly pesticides on the plants and adding acid to my brews, those red itchy bumps can get painful, the last couple years I'm only brewing low acid and low hop types of beers and it helps
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