Influencer has a rare allergy to water; understand the condition – 06/19/2023 – Health

Ten years ago, when she was 14, digital influencer Flávia Leonel Santana started to experience irritation and itching on her skin whenever she took a shower. Believing it to be a soap or shampoo allergy, she changed all the cosmetics she used in an attempt to end the discomfort.

However, it was no use. The reddish spots on the skin and small blisters continued to appear whenever the young woman did her personal hygiene.

“I even took a bath with just water and even then the allergy continued”, he recalls.

Intrigued by the situation, the young woman then began to take better care of her diet, thinking that she might be allergic to some food. But it was a rainy day that made Flávia turn on an alert.

Never having heard that a person could be allergic to water, the digital influencer then decided to search the internet on the subject and found several reports of people who had symptoms similar to hers whenever they came into contact with the liquid. To get a diagnosis, she went to a dermatologist.

“I didn’t even know that this type of allergy existed. When I got to the doctor I already told about my distrust and after the allergy test it was proven that I had aquagenic urticaria. It was a surprise because until then I had never had an allergy to water and no one my family has this condition too”, he says.

Antiallergics do not solve

Flávia says that she drinks water normally and doesn’t have any problems with that. However, at other times of day to day the allergy manifests itself.

“When I cry or sweat at the gym, the areas of my body that get wet become red and full of little balls, in addition to being very itchy and stinging”, says the influencer. According to the young woman, the areas of greatest irritation are the back, chest and scalp.

To treat the symptoms, Flávia says that she tested several antiallergic drugs recommended by doctors, but none of them had any effect.

The way, then, was to get used to the nuisance and avoid prolonged exposure to water and humid environments.

“I don’t go to swimming pools and I rarely go to the beach because prolonged contact with water makes my symptoms much worse, even causing wounds on my skin. In addition, my shower is also quick, around 10 minutes, and I always dry off very well. The allergy starts to improve and disappear from the skin after about 30 minutes”, he says.

Apart from these precautions, the digital influencer claims that she leads a life considered normal. She practices intense physical activities such as crossfit and goes out with friends.

“I always try to dry the sweat so I don’t get itchy, but I don’t let the allergy limit me”, he says.

Still according to Flávia, the doctors said that just as aquagenic urticaria appeared suddenly, it could also disappear over the years.

“Since it’s an allergy that I developed throughout my life, I haven’t had it since I was a child, the doctors explained that it could also disappear at some point in my life. But I’ll only find out over time. No one in my family has it and it was something very new for all of us”, he adds.

What is Aquagenic Urticaria?

Aquagenic urticaria is nothing more than an allergic reaction that appears on the skin when it comes into contact with water, regardless of the cold or hot temperature and whether the water is fresh, salty, filtered or not.

Like other allergies, it causes redness in the skin, swelling, intense itching and small balls can appear – similar to insect bites. These lesions and symptoms usually disappear within 30 to 60 minutes after the skin is dried.

These injuries arise because the body of the person who has the disease identifies water as a foreign substance and to protect itself, the immune system produces antibodies.

Thus, skin cells release chemicals causing blood vessels to dilate causing redness, itchiness and swelling of the skin.

“Aquagenic urticaria is a rare disease, so data and studies on it are scarce. Prevalence is higher in women, with disease onset occurring during puberty or post-puberty due to immaturity of the immune system. there is still no conclusive explanation of why it reaches this public more”, explains Gabriela Andrade Coelho Dias, member of the Scientific Department of Urticaria at Asbai (Brazilian Association of Allergy and Immunology).

In more serious situations, this type of allergy can also cause symptoms such as shortness of breath and a feeling of throat closing.

“It is necessary to observe whether these lesions develop into swellings on the lips and throats, which may indicate a more serious condition of the disease, and then the patient should seek emergency care”, warns Reinaldo Tovo, coordinator of the Dermatology Center at Hospital Sírio-Libanês .

Diagnosis and treatment

The diagnosis of the disease is made by a dermatologist through tests and clinical examinations, the most common of which is the water challenge test.

In this test, a compress soaked in water at 35-37 °C or saline solution is placed on the patient’s trunk. The compress is removed after about 30 minutes, if the patient reports itching or if there is urticaria at the site, the test is considered positive.

According to experts heard by the BBC, there is no cure for the disease and the only treatment for aquagenic urticaria is with the use of antiallergic drugs or corticosteroids. But, just like Flávia, it is possible that the medicine does not have an effect. The factor varies with each patient.

“Since it is impossible to avoid contact with water, what is often done is to prescribe an antihistamine, popularly known as antiallergic. Thus, the patient takes this antiallergic continuously, to try to prevent new outbreaks”, says Beni Grinblat, dermatologist at Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein.