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Warden
New Member
Canada
2 Posts |
 Posted - 03/18/2019 : 02:50:39
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I just read an article where this woman says she is allergic to H20 in her bloodstream and literally everywhere inside her body and that a sip of water sent her into anaphylactic shock (she says IV saline does too because of the H20 component). She also says this immunologist diagnosed her as being allergic to the H20 molecule.
She is 32 years old, appeared on Montrel, and a series of other shows since she was little. She gets into the news a lot, including this time when it was her 21st birthday.
But is this feasible? She literally claims that immunologists have said she is allergic to the H2O molecule by itself, not to any contaminants in water. I have seen photos of her and she looks completely healthy. She says she drinks milk mixed with orange juice and she explains this is OK for her because it's water mixed with other stuff.
I am aware of a condition called Aquagenic Urticaria, which is not an allergy and it only affects the skin, but anaphylaxis from water being present anywhere inside of the body, and having actual antibodies against the H2O molecule is another beast entirely.
Would a person really live to be 32 years old and live a normal day to day life with a consistent job if she had a severe H2O allergy where just a sip worth of H2O is enough to kill her?
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Edited by - Warden on 03/18/2019 02:51:28
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Kil
Evil Skeptic
USA
13477 Posts |
Posted - 03/18/2019 : 11:42:25 [Permalink]
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Welcome to SFN Warden.
So yes. It seems that there is a sort of allergy, though you're right, it's not a true allergy in the stickest sense called Aquagenic Urticaria, as you mentioned. It's very rare. It's even rarer when it effects actually drinking water and not external exposure to water. It also seems that in some severe cases anaphylactic shock has been observed, though I'm not sure how that would work if Aquagenic Urticaria is not a true allergy.
The condition appears to be more common in women, and is likely to develop during puberty, with a genetic disposition being the most likely cause. Its rarity means it's often misdiagnosed as an allergy to chemicals in water, such as chlorine or salt. Inflammation can last for an hour or longer and can lead to patients developing a phobia of bathing in water. Severe cases can result in anaphylactic shock.
In the medical literature, there are less than a hundred case studies, with research focusing on the condition's relation to other serious conditions such as T-cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and hepatitis C infections. The lack of research into treatment and diagnosis has made the identification of the condition difficult, but antihistamines have proven to work for some people. Fortunately, it does seem that the condition wanes in severity as the patient gets older. |
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Uncertainty may make you uncomfortable. Certainty makes you ridiculous.
Why not question something for a change?
Genetic Literacy Project |
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Warden
New Member
Canada
2 Posts |
Posted - 03/18/2019 : 12:30:18 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by Kil
Welcome to SFN Warden.
So yes. It seems that there is a sort of allergy, though you're right, it's not a true allergy in the stickest sense called Aquagenic Urticaria, as you mentioned. It's very rare. It's even rarer when it effects actually drinking water and not external exposure to water. It also seems that in some severe cases anaphylactic shock has been observed, though I'm not sure how that would work if Aquagenic Urticaria is not a true allergy.
The condition appears to be more common in women, and is likely to develop during puberty, with a genetic disposition being the most likely cause. Its rarity means it's often misdiagnosed as an allergy to chemicals in water, such as chlorine or salt. Inflammation can last for an hour or longer and can lead to patients developing a phobia of bathing in water. Severe cases can result in anaphylactic shock.
In the medical literature, there are less than a hundred case studies, with research focusing on the condition's relation to other serious conditions such as T-cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and hepatitis C infections. The lack of research into treatment and diagnosis has made the identification of the condition difficult, but antihistamines have proven to work for some people. Fortunately, it does seem that the condition wanes in severity as the patient gets older. |
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So if H2O allergy is real and a sip of water sends them into anaphylactic shock why don't they constantly react to the saliva they swallow? it's 99.5% water.. that is literally purer than sea water. |
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Kil
Evil Skeptic
USA
13477 Posts |
Posted - 03/18/2019 : 14:04:22 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by Warden
So if H2O allergy is real and a sip of water sends them into anaphylactic shock why don't they constantly react to the saliva they swallow? it's 99.5% water.. that is literally purer than sea water.
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A good question for which I have no idea. |
Uncertainty may make you uncomfortable. Certainty makes you ridiculous.
Why not question something for a change?
Genetic Literacy Project |
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ThorGoLucky
Snuggle Wolf
USA
1487 Posts |
Posted - 03/19/2019 : 09:50:15 [Permalink]
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| What a bizarre condition! |
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Is the H20 molecule really an allergen?
