Water allergy seems like a bad joke, but although it is hard to believe, there are people who suffer from it. Although allergy to water is very rare, allergists and dermatologists agree that it is one of the most difficult forms of allergy to treat. What are the causes of water allergy and is it possible to treat it?
Contents:
- Water allergy: symptoms
- Water allergy: causes
- Water allergy: treatment
Water allergyseems nonsense - how can you be allergic to something that is impossible to live without and which constitutes a large part of the human body and is part of every cell in the body? And yet.
There is no known cause of water allergy. There are also no proven methods of treating ailments. The doctor conducts most of the therapeutic procedure intuitively, often focusing on activities that may facilitate the patient's functioning in everyday life and increase its quality.
The first case of water allergy was described in 1963. There have been fewer than 100 cases of this disease in the world in the medical literature.
When analyzing the course of the disease in individual patients, it was noticed that it most often affects girls who enter puberty. However, the mechanism of the development of the allergy itself in this case has not been fully understood.
Very often, allergy to water is confused with allergy to substances and pollutants it contains. A simple way to tell what your allergy is is to pour tap water on one hand and distilled water on the other hand. If a reaction develops on both hands, you are allergic to water.
Water allergy: symptoms
People who suffer from water allergies often have:
- severe migraines
- dizziness
- swelling
- enlarged lymph nodes
A characteristic symptom iswater urticaria , also referred to as water-based.
Irritated and reddened skin is exposed as a result of continued contact with water to develop a rash and hives filled with serum fluid or pus. These changes are especially located around the hair follicles on the arms, shoulders, face and chest. The skin becomes very dry andwrinkled.
Additionally they develop:
- tingling
- water itching (similar to the constant pricking of pins)
- baking
These ailments significantly hinder everyday functioning, thus contributing to the deterioration of the quality of life of patients.
In extreme cases, life-threatening anaphylactic shock may occur.
Water allergy: causes
College water symptoms may develop after swimming in the pool or after a regular shower. Hence, patients face a huge problem in maintaining personal hygiene at an appropriate level.
They try to wash as little and as quickly as possible. In addition, they wipe the skin immediately after washing to limit its contact with water. For this purpose, it is recommended to use cotton towels, which have excellent absorbency and are delicate, which also does not irritate the diseased skin.
Allergy symptoms may appear after a few or several minutes after contact with water.
Water allergy can even be triggered by natural human secretions (both your own and someone else's), such as tears, sweat or saliva.
Fortunately, patients can drink water without any restrictions, without fear for their he alth, because an allergic reaction occurs only after water comes into contact with the skin, i.e. the outer surface of the body.
Water allergy: treatment
So far, as already mentioned, there is no effective treatment for water allergy. Specialists recommend the use of antihistamines and anticholinergics, as well as antidepressants, beta-blockers and steroid ointments. This treatment reduces the severity of symptoms to such an extent that the patient can take a bath as normal.
Troublesome itching is soothed with creams based on substances capable of turning off nerve endings, for example with capsaicin contained in chili peppers. The use of very well moisturizing creams to reduce skin dryness also brings beneficial effects.
Sometimes patients with water allergies are offered phototherapy with UVA and UVB filters, but there is not enough evidence to conclude that it brings significant improvement.
Water allergy symptoms are not affected by the temperature of the water. Nevertheless, it is recommended that patients do not bathe in too cold or too warm water. The safest thing to do is to take a bath in lukewarm water so as not to irritate the skin.
If you are allergic to water, your symptoms may worsen if minerals or bacteria are present in the water. Chlorine and fluorine are especially dangerous. That's whypatients should not use swimming pools or water parks, water curtains set up on hot days. It is also important to avoid rain and excessive physical exertion that will result in excessive sweating.
At home, it is worth installing special water purifying filters when showering. Home water purification stations are also available. Such devices are installed between the municipal water supply and the pipes distributing water around the house.
For patients with water allergy, the "technique" of bathing is also important. Before taking a shower (bathing is not recommended), it is recommended that you lubricate your entire body with an oil-based cream or gel. Thanks to this simple procedure, the risk of skin lesions is reduced. A greasy cream will act as a protective coating that will retain most of the harmful substances in the water.
About the author
Anna Jarosz A journalist who has been involved in popularizing he alth education for over 40 years. Winner of many competitions for journalists dealing with medicine and he alth. She received, among others The "Golden OTIS" Trust Award in the "Media and He alth" category, St. Kamil awarded on the occasion of the World Day of the Sick, twice the "Crystal Pen" in the national competition for journalists promoting he alth, and many awards and distinctions in competitions for the "Medical Journalist of the Year" organized by the Polish Association of Journalists for He alth.
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