A young woman who suffers from an extremely rare water allergy says her life has been ruined by the condition, which causes her to “grab” her skin after showering to relieve her pain.
Loren Montefusco, 22, from South Carolina, experiences a burning sensation deep in her skin whenever she comes into contact with water, forcing her to avoid showering for as long as possible.
The student at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington said she “grabs” her skin to cause pain and distract herself from the unbearable itching she experiences.
He first noticed his reaction to water when he was 12 years old and was diagnosed with aquagenic urticaria at 19 years old.
Since his diagnosis, Montefusco says his condition has worsened and his symptoms have become more severe.
Aquagenic urticaria, which has only been reported About 100 times, it causes hives to form when a person’s skin comes into contact with water, such as in the shower or pool, and sometimes even with a person’s own sweat.
Loren Montefusco, 22, from South Carolina, first noticed her water allergy, known as aquagenic urticaria, when she was about 12 years old.
You suffer from a burning itch under your skin that can last for more than an hour every time you come into contact with water.
Loren said she scratches her skin to feel more pain and distract herself from the unbearable itching.
Montefusco says she is forced to avoid showering for as long as possible and when she finally has to bathe, she does so as quickly as she can to avoid prolonged exposure to water.
She added: “It’s been difficult to navigate as a young woman and I thought it was disgusting to try not to shower, but luckily I found a group on social media of other patients who also refuse to shower.” It makes me feel less disgusting.
‘Dry shampoo is my best friend because the longer I spend in the shower washing my hair, the worse it gets.
“I’ve tried washing with a cloth and water, but it still uses water and causes an allergic reaction, so I usually have to use body wipes.”
Ms. Montefusco first experienced the agonizing symptoms when puberty began.
While little is known about this rare condition, scientific literature has suggested that onset typically occurs during this crucial period of development.
Most of the time, his reaction starts when showering and bathing, but he said he also gets the reaction after being in the ocean, hot tubs, swimming pools, and from his own sweat.
The 22-year-old said the pain and itching are the worst things she has ever experienced and she showers as little as possible to prevent symptoms.
Also avoid using body scrubs or shaving, as they will trigger your reaction even more.
As soon as she gets out of the shower, the student has to get dressed quickly to prevent the air from hitting her skin, as that also increases the pain.
Mrs. Montefusco said: “It’s horrendous.” It feels like the itch is deep beneath the surface of my skin.
‘I try my best not to sting, but I can’t help it. I scratched my skin to feel more pain and not feel the irritation of the itch. I just have to hold on.
‘Nothing helps or stops it (and) it can last up to an hour.
“Nothing actually appears on the surface of my skin as I feel like it’s coming from deep within my skin, but my body gets red and irritated when it itches.”
The cause of the allergy is unclear, but it is thought that the condition may be due to an allergen or chemical in the water, rather than the water itself, triggering an immune response.
Most cases occur randomly without a family history of the disorder.
Symptoms may include redness of the skin, burning or itching sensation, hives or rash.
To diagnose the condition, doctors will perform a physical exam to see what symptoms someone has.
They may also perform a water challenge test in which they will apply a compress of room temperature water to a person’s upper chest for half an hour to provoke a reaction.
Because of the rarity of the condition, little is known about how best to treat it, but some therapies include antihistamines, ultraviolet light treatments, steroids, barrier creams, and baking soda soaks.