Loren Montefusco He is 22 years old, lives in South Carolina (United States) and he is allergic to water. If it gets wet you get an itch that can last up to an hour.
The disease he suffers from is called aquagenic urticaria. It is a variant of urticaria that only 37 people in the world suffer from and which causes skin rashes after exposure to water.
He first noticed it when he was 12, and his doctor diagnosed it three years later as it continued to get worse.
Today Montefusco manages to live a normal life without going near water. But sometimes he can’t help but clean himself.
How does a person allergic to water take a bath?
The young woman reported this to the Caters news agency avoid the bathroom as much as possible. When she does, she takes a quick shower and dresses quickly as soon as she gets out of the water, since the wind, hitting her wet body, accentuates the itching.
Loren tried several ways to calm the rash. A cloth and some water, for example, but it didn’t work. He discovered a solution in dry shampoo to avoid water.
However, what was foolproof when it came to showering were the “body wipes”. Thanks to them it is not necessary to enter the shower.
Loren Montefusco is 22 years old and lives in North Carolina. Photo: New York PostIn addition to the physical pain, she is distressed by the thought of not bathing as often as most people. She thinks it’s “disgusting.” When she discovered that there are other people who suffer from something similar to hers, she felt accompanied in her suffering.
Regarding his outbursts, Montefusco said: “I feel like the itching is deep beneath the surface of the skin.. “I try my best not to get stung, but I can’t help it.”
It is very difficult for Loren to stay away from water, as in many scenes of everyday life she is exposed to it almost without realizing it. “I just have to hold on. “I scratch my skin to feel more pain and not feel irritation or itching,” she described.
The young woman tries to avoid the bathroom as much as possible. Photo: The New York PostThe cause and symptoms of aquagenic urticaria
In his opinion National Center for the Advancement of Translational SciencesSymptoms of aquagenic urticaria include small welts with clearly defined edges, primarily on the neck, upper torso, and arms, and itching.
It becomes apparent that the itching is coming from the water when the patient is no longer exposed to it and the hives disappear.
The cause of the disease is still unknown. Although the above site mentions that scientists have different theories about it.
On the one hand there are those who believe that it could be a substance dissolved in water that enters the skin and triggers an immune response. According to this theory, urticaria is more of a water-borne allergen.
Another idea is that hives are the result of an interaction between water and a substance in or on the skin that generates a toxic material.
Source: Clarin
Mary Ortiz is a seasoned journalist with a passion for world events. As a writer for News Rebeat, she brings a fresh perspective to the latest global happenings and provides in-depth coverage that offers a deeper understanding of the world around us.