Many individuals with persistent hives be taught to keep away from the frequent triggers that make their situation worse.
But what would you do in the event you had been allergic to water?
That’s a query that Tessa Hansen-Smith, 25, has to ask herself daily, as she contracts hives after any contact with water. Today, she’s elevating consciousness about one of many rarest type of allergic reactions referred to as aquagenic urticaria, a situation wherein individuals escape in hives after they arrive into contact with water.
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After she informed college students in faculty at University of California, Davis, about her prognosis, some would intentionally splash water or hurl ice cubes at her as a result of they didn’t consider her, in accordance to a latest report.
She not too long ago raised over $10,000 on her GoFundMe account to assist pay her rising medical payments.

“There is ongoing medical care that’ll always be present in my life and the extra money above my goal will be contributing to that,” wrote Hansen-Smith on social media about her rare allergy to water. (iStock)
“I’m so happy my hospital bill and stay are now behind me, but there is ongoing medical care that’ll always be present in my life and the extra money above my goal will be contributing to that,” she wrote on Instagram about her scenario.
Hansen-Smith was hospitalized through the pandemic when she grew to become so dehydrated that a part of her giant gut quickly had decreased blood stream, inflicting a situation known as ischemic colitis.
Her medical doctors first thought the wrongdoer was soaps and shampoos within the bathe — however the situation persevered.
“I’m always dehydrated and prone to fainting,” she lamented on social media.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Hansen-Smith household for remark.
More triggers and reactions over time
When she was 8, Hansen-Smith began noticing raised rashes on her arms and in addition cuts on her scalp, she shared on her social media accounts.
Her medical doctors at first thought the wrongdoer was soaps and shampoos within the bathe — however the situation persevered.

Tessa Hansen-Smith’s household seen that her hives had been triggered by swimming pools, in addition to by showers that she took at dwelling — and in addition at inns in several cities. As she grew, she developed extra triggers and reactions. (iStock)
After two years of exams by a number of specialists, her mom, Dr. Karen Hansen-Smith, a household drugs doctor, first put all her signs collectively to understand she had a water allergy, in accordance to a latest report.
Her household seen her hives had been triggered by swimming pools, in addition to by showers that she took at dwelling — and in addition at inns in several cities.
As she grew up, she developed extra triggers and reactions. Her eyes started to itch — and he or she developed cuts on her tongue and hives her mouth.
Can’t drink non-dairy milk
“I’m allergic to all sources of water — this includes rain, tap, distilled, ocean, bottled, and even includes bodily fluids like sweat, tears and saliva,” she posted not too long ago on Instagram.
Drinks with a high-water content material trigger a burning sensation, she mentioned, so dairy milk is reportedly the simplest for her to drink as a result of the fats and protein content material balances the water content material.
If she doesn’t have entry to milk all through the day, she turns into so thirsty that she will’t resist chugging water ± which may lead to fainting from the ache, she mentioned beforehand.
She can’t drink any non-dairy milk, corresponding to almond milk, oat milk or any milk that isn’t from an animal.
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But if she doesn’t have entry to milk all through the day, she turns into so thirsty that she will’t resist chugging water ± which may lead to fainting from the ache, she mentioned beforehand.
Sticks to dry meals with minimal water content material
She sticks to dry meals with minimal water content material like granola bars, crackers, bread, peanut butter, potatoes, beans and dairy based mostly soups.
She stays away from watermelon, cucumbers and celery.

Drinks with a high-water content material trigger a burning sensation for Hansen-Smith, so dairy milk is the simplest for her to drink as a result of the fats and protein content material balances the water content material, in accordance to a latest report. She can’t drink any non-dairy milk, corresponding to almond milk or oat milk — or any milk that isn’t from an animal. (iStock)
She eats fruits roughly as soon as a week — normally dried apricots, dried cranberries or generally a small serving of inexperienced apples or strawberries.
She tolerates some meals with excessive water content material, like strawberries, as a result of they’ve extra sugar in them — however she nonetheless takes precautions when consuming them.
Working onerous to keep clear
“Showers take a lot out of me already, but over the past year they’ve become an impossible hurdle to jump,” she posted not too long ago.
“So standing in a shower for more than five minutes, while also trying to not pass out as I hyperventilate while there’s water hitting me, is not a relaxing self-care experience like it can be for others,” she added.
She limits her actions as a result of she will’t get too soiled or interact in actions that trigger her to sweat an excessive amount of.
She additionally mentioned, “Believe me, I’m doing more than enough to be clean enough that no one notices — I haven’t had a proper shower in over a year-and-a-half.”
She mentioned she minimizes physique odor points “by shaving and using deodorant where appropriate.”
But she limits her actions as a result of she will’t get too soiled or interact in actions that trigger her to sweat an excessive amount of, since she not often washes her complete physique fully, she informed others on social media.
What is urticaria?
Hives trigger bumps and/or raised patches on the pores and skin that seem abruptly, in accordance to the American Academy of Dermatology Association (AAD).
Urticaria is the medical time period for hives.

Hives typically resolve inside sooner or later, however they’ll reappear both on the identical space or completely different elements on the pores and skin. (iStock)
Hives typically resolve inside sooner or later, however they’ll reappear both on the identical space or completely different elements on the pores and skin.
People with hives typically get new rashes for a few days to a few weeks, however after they persist for six weeks or longer, they’re termed persistent hives, per AAD.
“Aquagenic urticaria is a variant of physical urticaria,” Alison Ehrlich, M.D., a dermatologist in personal follow at Foxhall Dermatology and Research Center based mostly in Washington, D.C., informed Fox News Digital.
People with hives typically get new rashes for a few days to a few weeks, however after they persist for six weeks or longer, they’re termed persistent hives.
People with the situation develop hives after publicity particularly to water, sweat, and tears, she defined.
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“These itchy lesions generally appear within 20 to 30 minutes after exposure to water,” she added.
“Diagnosis should be confirmed by a physician as other forms of physical urticaria can be triggered by exposure to water at different temperatures or salinity.”
“There is no cure, there’s just management and medication, and also restriction and avoidance,” Hansen-Smith not too long ago defined on Instagram.
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