Allergic reactions by water

Allergic to water? That sounds like a joke of dirt finches, who don’t want to wash, but it is a bitter reality, if only for a few dozen people in the world. The phenomenon is also known under the names water nettle, water urticaria, or Aqua genes urticaria known. The Affected have allergic reactions when in contact with water, which can lead to death by shock.

Table of contents

Water Allergy – The most important facts

• It is a Form of hives, in which patients develop symptoms when they come into contact with water.
• Water drinking is not easy, the body reacts on the Inside. The symptoms arise when water touches the skin.
• In case of skin contact with water blisters occur, the skin reddens.
• The Affected suffer from itching and pain.
• There is a danger of allergic shock.
• Water urticaria is one of the rarest diseases ever in the world, only three dozen cases are known.
• The causes are not clarified sufficiently. In some patients, the Overproduction of histamine is carried out in contact with water. This is, therefore, medically speaking, an Allergy. In the case of other similar reactions, the histamine is not the reason for the symptoms.

Inducible Urticaria

This word monster known forms of hives with clear triggers, such as

• physical exertion,
• Heat,
• Light,
• Cold,
• Pressure on the skin (physically induced hives),
• allergic reactions to substances in food and drugs
• and Stress in the case of so-called stress-addiction-induced hives (here the triggers are psychological stress).

The water Allergy, is one of the physical forms. Two-thirds of all cases of hives are inducible.

Symptoms

Approximately 15 minutes after contact with water, whether it’s by taking a bath in the lake, in contact with rain or sea water to form whitish itchy papules on the skin. Also erythematous wheals occur, the the Form of knobs or points. The skin may also swell – this is usually a sign for an increased Outpouring of histamine. Not all patients respond to all forms of water, some only on sea water, and the skin hurts like in the case of combustion, no matter whether you wash your hands, or snow, or melt into the skin.

Water hives

Shelley and Rawnsley described in 1964 as the first in a hives, which occurs when the Affected with water come in contact with. The phenomenon is extremely rare, currently the world’s approximately 35 diseases are known.

It really is an Allergy to water?

In the diagnosis you should be very careful. In the water a lot of other substances that can cause allergies. You respond to this allergic, this is not a reaction to the water. For example, allergens can collect substances on your skin, which can be detached during Washing, and penetrate the skin.

In tap water may contain metals, in the water pipes, but also lime, and salts. These solve even quite often allergies, as chlorine, in small quantities (in other countries in larger quantities) in the tap water. Irritated skin after the visit of a swimming pool, everyone knows almost. This is also why you should shower after Swimming in a public facility. Added to this are biological substances, germs, bacteria, fungi and other microbes, the taps on the water or in the water pipes. If you infect, for example, the Allergy tests, or Cholera, they don’t suffer addiction under a water hives. If you are allergic, this can be by means of Allergy testing found out that you are in allergological practice.

Affected only react to water that comes from the outside of your skin. Inside the body you will have no problems. So you can drink with a straw, and only develop symptoms when the water drips, for example, on your chin. It is, but once in the mouth, there are no further complaints.

Causes

On the causes of the water hives is not clear. A twin study of genetic system, but there are probably also acquired forms of the disease and in some patients, the symptoms decreased with time. In some patients, the disease broke out in early Childhood, others in the Teens, and at others, almost in young adulthood.

In contrast to “real” allergies, it is often not an Excess of the Neurotransmitter histamine, but rather a reaction of the skin. Thus, the chlorine Allergy is, for example, in the strict medical sense, no Allergy.

Diagnosis

With Allergy tests, the doctor can recognize whether it is a water hives. This, he places the patient with water-soaked compresses to the skin. As sure the diagnosis is valid, if without other possible stimuli, the skin reddens, itches, and/or pustules.

Treatment

The disease is easy to treat, but not cure it. The cause is the increase in Pay of histamine then antihistamines can help effectively. The cause is unclear, then medicines to relieve the reactions of the skin. Very important is a life in this case, plan to avoid the triggers in everyday life.

Prevention

A water hives you can’t prevent, since the emergence of the disease is not clarified.

What are antihistamines?

This histamine-receptor antagonists block the Places in the body where histamine binds. There are these medicines for four different histamine receptors: H1, H2, H3, and H4. H1 – and H2-blockers are most effective and are therefore used most often for allergies.

Stress in everyday life

Patients burdened with the disease often mentally. Children fear being bullied and it has to be sometimes. The disease occurs only in the case of certain forms of water, so that the contact can be avoided (as in the case of sea water), then this nettle restricts the Affected by the addiction in everyday life extremely:

• You can’t wash your hands.
• You can’t even go out in light rain.
• You can not walk through wet Grass, because they must fear to get wet feet.
• You need to give the drink eight, that not a drop gets on the skin.
• For your daily Hygiene, you need to resort to means such as dry shampoos or fresh wipes – to clean the body without water, although it is not impossible, but expensive.

When you need to see a doctor?

A water hives will disappear almost never alone. Therefore, you should consult at the first symptoms a doctor, so, then, when in contact with water, the skin reddens. You can go to your GP and will refer you to an allergist.

How dangerous is the disease?

Water urticaria is very very rare. The probability that it hits is one in 100 million. The Severity of the disease is different for all of the currently known Affected – here are some examples:

Emily

A patient, Emily, reacts so strongly that you couldn’t do any sports any more, since sweating leads to severely itchy skin rashes. You no longer cleans with a damp cloth in the shower. A allergic shock can bring the heart to a standstill and so cause death threatens at any time.

Alexandra All

At the age of twelve, the whole body itched with Alexandra, as she climbed into the swimming pool. The Doctors suspected a chlorine Allergy – in contrast to the water-nettle is a common reaction to addiction. Alexandra was skeptical and researched yourself on the Internet. Since you found all of your symptoms of water Allergy. Despite treatment, they can often lie only with the pain in the bed, if you come in contact with water.

Ivy Angermann

The child Ivy Angermann from Minnesota cried, as the parents bathed it, and his skin was heavily flushed. The parents suspected that the daughter was allergic to the bubble bath, but the Allergy tests showed that the girl suffered from dropsy hives. In this case, it is in the narrow sense to an Allergy, so Ivy with antihistamines has been treated. (Dr. Utz Anhalt)