Water is a huge part of our daily lives. On top of drinking it to stay hydrated, we use it to shower, wash our clothes and do the dishes, amongst other things.
That’s why life for Chelsea, 23, who has a severe allergy to water, is extremely complicated.
She spoke exclusively with the Daily Mail about what it’s like to live with the rare allergy, from having to avoid her own tears and sweat to battling excruciating pain after showers.
Chelsea, who is based in the UK and asked not to share her last name, explained that she ‘first realized that something wasn’t right’ when she was 13 years old and developed what appeared to be hives while on vacation with her family.
At first, she assumed it was from being out in the sun, but when she noticed it would get worse after she got out of the pool or showered she started to suspect it was something else.
After returning home her parents brought her to multiple doctors, who couldn’t figure out what was causing the skin irritation.
Eventually, she was diagnosed with aquagenic urticaria, an extremely rare condition ‘in which a person’s skin develops red, itchy hives after exposure to water,’ per Allergy and Asthma Network.
‘It took the doctors and hospital a while to diagnose me because the condition is so rare, but eventually they told me I have aquagenic urticaria, which is essentially an allergy to water,’ Chelsea told the Daily Mail.
Chelsea, 23, has a severe allergy to water and it makes life extremely difficult
Any time water touches her skin, she explained that she ‘breaks out in hives and a painful, itchy rash’
‘Once I finally got the diagnosis it was actually a relief to know what was causing it.’
Chelsea has now been living with it for over a decade, and it’s certainly not easy.
Any time water touches her skin, she explained that she ‘breaks out in hives and a painful, itchy rash.’
‘It’s not just tap water either – rain, sweat and even my own tears can trigger a reaction,’ she shared.
‘I have to take a lot of precautions in daily life. Even crying can cause a reaction – it sounds crazy but if I cry my face can come out in a rash.
‘When it rains I have to be really careful and most of the time I try to avoid going out because rain on my skin will trigger a reaction. That can be difficult living in the UK.
‘[Thankfully] I can drink water because the reaction mainly happens when it touches my skin rather than when I drink it.’
She noted that she still showers daily ‘because basic hygiene is important to her,’ but she’s in excruciating pain afterwards.
She has tried all sorts of treatments from antihistamines to injections to combat the allergy and alleviate the painful and itchy rashes, but nothing has helped.
She noted that she still showers daily ‘because basic hygiene is important to her,’ but she’s in excruciating pain afterwards
She has tried all sorts of treatments from antihistamines to injections to combat the allergy and alleviate the painful and itchy rashes, but nothing has helped
‘Despite all of this, I try to take life day by day,’ she concluded. ‘I still have a very happy life – I just have to be more careful than most people.’
Loren Montefusco, now 26, from South Carolina, revealed back in 2022 how she would avoid showering for as long as possible because of the same condition.
She said: ‘It’s been difficult to navigate as a young woman, and I thought it was disgusting that I try not to shower but luckily I found a group on social media of other sufferers who also refuse to shower. It makes me feel less gross.
‘Dry shampoo is my best friend because the longer I spend in the shower washing my hair, the worse it gets.
‘I have tried washing myself using a cloth and water, but it’s still using water and causes an allergic reaction so I usually have to use body wipes.’
As soon as she gets out of the shower, the student said she has to quickly fully clothe herself to stop air from hitting her skin, as that heightens the pain.
‘Despite all of this, I try to take life day by day,’ she said. ‘I still have a very happy life – I just have to be more careful than most people’
‘It’s horrendous. It feels like the itch is deep below the surface of my skin,’ she added.
‘I try my hardest not to itch, but I can’t help it. I claw at my skin to put myself in more pain so I don’t feel the irritation of the itching. I just have to ride it out.
‘Nothing helps it or stops it [and] it can last up to an hour. Nothing actually appears on the surface of my skin, as it feels like it comes from deep beneath my skin, but my body becomes red and irritated from where I itch.’
The cause of the allergy is unclear, but it is thought the condition may be due to an allergen or chemical in water – rather than water itself – that triggers an immune response.
Most cases occur randomly with no family history of the disorder and there are between 50 and 100 known sufferers worldwide.
Women are more likely to experience symptoms, which typically start around puberty.
Due to the condition’s rarity, little is known about how best to treat it, but some therapies include antihistamines, UV light treatments, steroids, creams that act as a barrier and bathing in sodium bicarbonate.
