She wakes up and tries to drink a glass of water that looks like poison to her, stinging nettles that leave blisters in her larynx. And this, alas, is not only a sensation: in fact, contact with moisture leaves itchy red marks on her skin. If the day turned out to be rainy, she has no way to go outside, because every drop that falls from the sky gives her unbearable suffering. At the local leisure center, she watches with longing and horror as others splash in the pool. She herself tried to overcome fear, but as soon as she dipped her leg into the water, she felt a burning pain.
What's happening?
No, this is not some kind of cinematic alternate reality. This is the world of Briton Rachel Warwick, who is allergic to water. This is a world where relaxing baths or swimming in tropical seas are as inviting as rubbing your body with caustic bleach. “This is my life - and my hell,” she says.
No contact with water
What's the matter with water - even her own sweat gives Rachel a reaction in the form of a painful, swollen and intensely itchy rash that can last for several hours! “Plus, the reaction makes me feel like I was running a marathon,” the woman admits. - This is a terrible fatigue, and I have to sit for a long time and come to my senses. And the worst thing is if I don't hold back and pay. Then my face turns red and swells."
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When exposed to moisture, Rachel develops symptoms of hives combined with hay fever.
How can you live …
This is the first question that arises from others. It is a well-known truth that water is life, the need for water in humans is the most basic. Even scientific minds, exploring space in search of habitable planets, are primarily looking for water. In addition, at least 60% of our body is water; on average, an adult body weighing 70 kg contains about 40 liters of life-giving liquid.
In Rachel's case, there are a few things to clarify. The problem, obviously, is not the water that is contained in the cells of the body. The reaction is initiated when moisture comes into contact with the skin, regardless of its temperature, purity or salt content. Even repeatedly distilled water causes her allergies. In medical practice, this rare disease is known as aquagenic urticaria. Only 35 cases of such pathology are known in the world.
“They ask me a lot,” the woman complains, “how I eat, can I drink, how do I wash. I answer that I have resigned myself and learned to live with it, and that's where we will end the conversation."
Mysterious disease - aquagenic urticaria
This disease has always been not entirely clear to scientists and to all of us. In general, it cannot be attributed to allergies in the classical sense. This is probably an immune response to some kind of malfunction within the body, and not an allergy to something foreign, such as pollen or peanuts.
The earliest theories trying to explain how this happens said that water interacts with the stratum corneum, which consists mainly of dead cells, or the oily subcutaneous substance that keeps it moist. Contact with water can cause the components to release toxic substances, which in turn leads to an immune response.
There are other suggestions that water may simply dissolve the chemicals in the dead layers of the skin, allowing them to penetrate deeper and cause an allergic reaction.
And another, also quite plausible version, is based on the fact that water allergy consists in a change in blood pressure due to the body's immune signaling upon contact with a dangerous substance, in this case, with ordinary water.
Why is there no consensus?
The founder of the European Center for Allergy Problems (ECARF), dermatologist Markus Maurer (Germany), says: “I have patients who have had hives for 40 years and they wake up every day with blisters and swelling. Whatever the cause of the problem, one thing is clear: it is a devastating disease that can poison lives."
Sufferers can be in constant depression and anxiety, always worrying about when the next attack will come. “In terms of deteriorating quality of life, this is one of the worst skin diseases,” says the scientist. Thus, he outlines the symptoms and consequences, but does not give an unambiguous answer to questions about the nature of the problem and its solution. In the laboratory, the most effective drugs are tested on patients, including those that are used to combat bronchial asthma.
When it started?
Rachel was about 12 years old when she was diagnosed with a rash after bathing. “I am very lucky that my doctor in charge recognized my illness right away,” she says.
The doctor did not send her for additional examination. The standard diagnostic method for aquagenic urticaria is to wet the body for half an hour to see how the reaction is manifesting. The doctor said that it could only get worse.
This, of course, is not fatal, and it is not about how to survive. But the inconvenience in everyday life is another matter. In the fall and winter, when there is a lot of rain in Britain, Rachel cannot leave the house. Everyday life also has its own nightmares. For example, there can be no question of washing the dishes. Fortunately, she has a caring, understanding husband who takes care of her every step of the way, taking care of all the housework, wet cleaning and other matters one way or another related to water.
She still tries to drink water at least once a day, but with great torment. Drinks mostly milk, juices, which are not so aggressive for the skin. Again, no one can tell what the dramatic difference between liquids is. She bathes no more than once a week, and in order not to sweat, she tries to wear the lightest clothes made from natural fabrics.
How is it treated?
Of course, the search for effective remedies does not stop. Dr. Marcus Maurer says the standard treatment for now is potent antihistamines. The fact is that histamine activates "itching neurons". If so, then, in theory, antihistamines should work in all cases. In practice, the drugs give very mixed results.
Back in 2014, Rachel visited ECARF in Berlin, where doctors suggested that she try high doses of antihistamines. She followed the advice, then decided to consolidate the results in the pool. So what? It didn't work. Research continues, and perhaps soon a young woman will be able to experience the effects of a new effective remedy on herself.
If a miracle happens
When Rachel was asked what would she do first if she was cured of the disease, she replied: "I would like to swim in the pool and dance in the rain."