1 00:00:01,920 --> 00:00:06,520 Speaker 1: Welcome to brain Stuff production of I Heart Radio. Hey 2 00:00:06,559 --> 00:00:09,600 Speaker 1: brain Stuff Lauren bog Obam here with a classic episode 3 00:00:09,680 --> 00:00:14,160 Speaker 1: from our archives. There's a much greater awareness these days 4 00:00:14,240 --> 00:00:17,840 Speaker 1: of allergies and sensitivities, which is great for those of 5 00:00:17,920 --> 00:00:21,880 Speaker 1: us who have, for example, specific dietary needs, but of 6 00:00:21,960 --> 00:00:26,079 Speaker 1: all the things that people avoid to keep themselves feeling okay. 7 00:00:26,400 --> 00:00:29,920 Speaker 1: Our question of the day is can people be allergic 8 00:00:30,200 --> 00:00:35,760 Speaker 1: to water? Hey brain Stuff, Lauren bog bomb here. When 9 00:00:35,800 --> 00:00:38,720 Speaker 1: Alexandra Allen was twelve years old, she did what most 10 00:00:38,800 --> 00:00:41,199 Speaker 1: kids do when they're on a family vacation. She went 11 00:00:41,240 --> 00:00:44,440 Speaker 1: for a swim in the hotel pool. Unlike most kids, though, 12 00:00:44,640 --> 00:00:48,120 Speaker 1: Alexandra had a severe reaction to her swim. Her skin 13 00:00:48,200 --> 00:00:50,680 Speaker 1: broke out and angry, itchy welts just a few short 14 00:00:50,720 --> 00:00:53,800 Speaker 1: hours after leaving the water. What began as an ordinary 15 00:00:53,800 --> 00:00:56,760 Speaker 1: summer day ended in the eventual diagnosis that would change 16 00:00:56,800 --> 00:00:59,520 Speaker 1: Allen's life. She shelved her dreams of living on a 17 00:00:59,520 --> 00:01:02,360 Speaker 1: sailboat and working as a marine biologist after discovering she 18 00:01:02,480 --> 00:01:06,039 Speaker 1: was allergic to water. An allergy to water seems like 19 00:01:06,080 --> 00:01:09,760 Speaker 1: an improbable condition, After all, water is a chief chemical 20 00:01:09,800 --> 00:01:12,520 Speaker 1: component in the human body. Accounting for at least six 21 00:01:13,040 --> 00:01:16,160 Speaker 1: of the average person's weight. Water whisks toxins out of 22 00:01:16,160 --> 00:01:19,640 Speaker 1: critical organs, ferries nutrients to hungry cells, and creates the 23 00:01:19,720 --> 00:01:23,360 Speaker 1: human conditions needed for ear, nose, and throat health. In short, 24 00:01:23,720 --> 00:01:27,360 Speaker 1: water is essential to life. In the case of water allergies, 25 00:01:27,400 --> 00:01:30,240 Speaker 1: only the skin is affected. People with this condition can 26 00:01:30,240 --> 00:01:33,160 Speaker 1: still safely drink water. It's only when water of any 27 00:01:33,200 --> 00:01:36,640 Speaker 1: temperature or origin touches the skin that a hypersensitive allergic 28 00:01:36,680 --> 00:01:41,640 Speaker 1: reaction occurs. The condition, known as aquagenic uticaria, is called 29 00:01:41,680 --> 00:01:44,959 Speaker 1: an allergy, but isn't medically classified as a true allergy. 30 00:01:45,319 --> 00:01:48,400 Speaker 1: It's actually an allergy like reaction that belongs to a 31 00:01:48,480 --> 00:01:52,520 Speaker 1: subset of physical r tucaria, a group of conditions characterized 32 00:01:52,560 --> 00:01:55,520 Speaker 1: by hives or welts that arise from stimulation of the skin. 33 00:01:56,200 --> 00:01:59,639 Speaker 1: In the case of aquagenic your tcaria, red swollen, itchy 34 00:01:59,640 --> 00:02:03,320 Speaker 1: bumps form when water touches the skin. This histamine reaction 35 00:02:03,480 --> 00:02:06,120 Speaker 1: isn't directed at the water itself, but is most likely 36 00:02:06,160 --> 00:02:10,360 Speaker 1: a reaction to a water soluble antigen that stimulates antibodies. 37 00:02:10,960 --> 00:02:13,800 Speaker 1: Any type of water, distilled, tap or rain will cause 38 00:02:13,800 --> 00:02:17,280 Speaker 1: an outbreak almost immediately and can make bathing or getting 39 00:02:17,280 --> 00:02:21,720 Speaker 1: caught outside in a rainstorm a tortuous proposition. Aquagenic Ured 40 00:02:21,800 --> 00:02:24,800 Speaker 1: caria is so rare that fewer than one occurrences have 41 00:02:24,840 --> 00:02:27,480 Speaker 1: been recorded in medical literature since the first cases were 42 00:02:27,520 --> 00:02:30,919 Speaker 1: described in nineteen sixty four. It affects women more than men, 43 00:02:31,040 --> 00:02:34,560 Speaker 1: and most often begins during puberty. It's usually diagnosed by 44 00:02:34,600 --> 00:02:38,200 Speaker 1: putting the skin into prolonged contact with water. In Alan's case, 45 00:02:38,240 --> 00:02:40,880 Speaker 1: physicians asked her to soak in a tub to diagnose 46 00:02:40,880 --> 00:02:45,280 Speaker 1: the condition. The cause of these water allergies still alludes experts. 47 00:02:45,680 --> 00:02:48,200 Speaker 1: One theory is that sweat glands could be the culprit. 48 00:02:48,639 --> 00:02:51,200 Speaker 1: It's possible that spet glands in certain people produce a 49 00:02:51,240 --> 00:02:54,600 Speaker 1: toxin that leads to an allergic reaction with water, while 50 00:02:54,639 --> 00:02:57,240 Speaker 1: researchers remain unshore of the root cause of the condition. 51 00:02:57,480 --> 00:03:00,520 Speaker 1: Most cases can be treated with antihistamines and controlled by 52 00:03:00,560 --> 00:03:09,400 Speaker 1: avoiding contact with water as much as possible. Today's episode 53 00:03:09,440 --> 00:03:11,760 Speaker 1: was written by Laurie L. Dove and produced by Tristan 54 00:03:11,840 --> 00:03:14,639 Speaker 1: McNeil and Tyler Clang. For more on this and lots 55 00:03:14,639 --> 00:03:18,360 Speaker 1: of other sensitive topics, visit house toffworks dot com. Brainstuff 56 00:03:18,400 --> 00:03:20,960 Speaker 1: is production of iHeart Radio. For more podcasts from my 57 00:03:21,000 --> 00:03:24,000 Speaker 1: heart Radio, visit the i heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, 58 00:03:24,080 --> 00:03:25,840 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.