University Student With Water Allergy Can Only Shower Bimonthly
STUDENT WITH WATER ALLERGY – If you thought that people with water allergies didn’t exist, well you’re wrong.
A university student named Tessa Hansen-Smith has a rare condition called Aquagenic urticaria. It is believed to affect only 100 people worldwide.
The individuals who suffer from this condition are prevented from playing any sports or exercising. This is because just a few moments after contacting water, a painful rash breaks out and a fever develops.
This is the state that Tessa is in. Because of her condition, she can’t even walk around the campus in case she sweats.
Because of this, she gets transported via a shuttle to get to her destination within the campus.
According to an article from Unilad, Tessa was diagnosed with the condition at the age of 10 by her mother who is a doctor. She found out that Tessa got uncomfortable even with just a sip of water.
She explained that Tessa started showing symptoms when she was eight-years-old. When she bathed and showered, a rash would break out.
Initially, her parents thought it was caused by certain soaps or shampoos. However, this was not the case as symptoms kept persisting.
After researching online, they discovered that their daughter had a rare condition. Tessa said she would take an allergy tablet to get rid of the rashes.
However, she explained that this method no longer works since the condition gets worse with age. She added that it’s even difficult because she’s allergic to her own tears, saliva, and sweat.
What’s worse is, even drinking water could cause cuts in her tongue. Along with this, there is still no cure for the rare condition.
Having Aquagenic urticaria can be a mental game at times – it’s hard to take so many tablets everyday knowing that it’s not actually ever going to stop.
I’m frequently reminded that there’s no cure to Aquagenic urticaria and that I’ll never really be fully better, which is definitely a difficult thing to hear sometimes.
Tessa Hansen-Smith
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