Strange, Weird & Bizarre Medical Cases & Facts

Allergic to Water – An unfortunate allergy

photo by Tigerlily 09

Did you know there are some people out there who are allergic to water?  It’s true!  There are two conditions:  aquagenic urticaria and aquagenic pruritus – both of which are allergic reactions to water.

How is that possible?  How to people stay hydrated?  How do they bathe?  In aquagenic urticaria contact with water causes hives.  In aquagenic pruritus contact with water causes extreme prickliness and itchiness.  See, in the first one (let’s call it AU for short), the person is reacting to the ions in non-distilled water.  So in that case, you’re probably safe with distilled water.  Make sure it’s distilled, though, because the hives pop up and can last for hours.

In AP, unlike AU, the reaction is caused by a histamine.  (A histamine is what causes an inflammatory response in a person).    This is another one of those diseases that have been met with a lot of speculation.  People would feel this crazy itchiness and pain after contact with water, but there are no surface symptoms.  So, people wouldn’t believe that people were really feeling all this discomfort because of plain old water.

It’s a real condition, though, and people really suffer with it.  Sometimes people with this condition react to just moist air – so humidity is bad, right?  Some people find relief in applying heat to their skin directly after bathing, and for others that makes it worse.  Sometimes creams or allergy medicines (like Claritin) work, and sometimes it’s just no use – the water makes them itchy.

This is definitely up there in the “allergies we’re glad we don’t have” department, because we love water slides and bubble baths!

Dermatographia: Canvas Skin

Dermatitis, rosacea, psoriasis, and eczema are all skin conditions that you have probably heard of. You may not have heard of dermatographia, a skin condition that affects up to five percent of the population. For some people, this skin condition may be short lived, while others will experience it for years on end. Its symptoms can vary in intensity and duration. People who have dermatographia will experience raised, red lines in response to even light scratches. These raised marks can last anywhere from 30 minutes to several days. Although they may not have any other side effects, these marks may also be accompanied by irritation and itching.

Causes of Dermatographia

Although the causes of this condition are not known, many people think that it stems from a virus, an infection, or perhaps an allergy. Regardless of the cause of this condition, it results in an immune system that is hypersensitive to even light injury. When the skin is rubbed or scratched its cells release a large amount of histamine, which causes capillaries to dilate. When capillaries dilate, the skin becomes red and inflamed. There can also be a number of other potential triggers such as pressure, sunlight, extreme temperatures, or intense emotion and stress.

Dermatographia Diagnosis

The diagnosis for dermatographia is fairly simple and painless. Generally, the doctor lightly drags a tongue depressor across the skin. If the scratch becomes red and swollen within a short period of time, it is likely that the person has dermatographia. Thankfully, this skin condition isn’t known to have dangerous or life-threatening side effects, although some people experience itching or burning when their skin is scratched. Because there are so few painful or harmful side effects of this condition, many people who have it never go to the doctor to receive an official diagnosis, which is why most people have never even heard of dermatographia.

Dermatographia Treatment

For the people who actually do feel burning, itching, or pain, dermatographia can be particularly uncomfortable and disconcerting. Thankfully, relief is attainable and doesn’t require extensive or expensive medical treatment. Using an antihistamine can help to control the condition. There are a number of over the counter options, such as Benadryl or Claritin, or if the condition is severe, a doctor can also prescribe a more powerful antihistamine.

Embarrassing and Painful, or Artistic Skin Condition?

Ariana Page Russell is an artist who has dermatographia. Rather than being ashamed of her skin condition, she sees artistic beauty in her skin’s reaction. She intentionally creates welts and causes her skin to flush using a blunt knitting needle, fingernails, or other tools, and photographs them as a form of art. The patterns and pictures that she creates become her inspiration for a line of wallpaper that she designs. She also creates decals out of patterns that she creates and applies them to her skin. For Russell, dermatographia is not a reason to hide her skin, but an opportunity to explore the meaning of beauty. Clearly, this skin condition can be seen in many different ways. Is it embarrassing? Is it beautiful? Or is it just plain weird? The answer is all in your perception.

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