Abigail Beck is 15 years old and her life has been a series of complications due to her water allergy. It is one of 100 registered cases in the world of a rare disease.
“I had to educate my doctors about my condition because they hadn’t experienced it before,” he said. abigail beckan Arizona teen who is so allergic to water that she can’t even cry or take a bath because of the pain it causes to her skin, and you cannot drink it without getting seriously ill.
there is beck aquagenic urticaria, a rare condition, with just about 100 registered cases, which causes irritation when in contact with water. The 15-year-old was diagnosed in April after telling doctors that her tears were acidic and that the shower had caused her severe discomfort.
“I cry like a normal person and it hurts,” she told the Kennedy News, describing her tears as “one of the worst parts” because they burn his face. “It conditions my life, but I don’t want to be like that. If I drink water, I vomit, my chest hurts a lot and my heart is starting to beat so fast. “
Abigail Beck is 15 years old and suffers from aquagenic urticaria, a disease that complicates her life in all aspects.
Because of her extreme allergies, Abigail do not drink a glass of water for a year and instead take rehydration tablets and drink energy drinks and pure pomegranate juice. “I don’t have to drink water anymore, the taste is bad for me,” she said, as doctors are now considering an IV to give her more fluids. as a “more permanent treatment,” he said.
As her illness lasted, Abigail’s fears increased. “I’m afraid they’re going to get out of control and no one will know what to do, including me. I don’t even know how to help myself. I try to keep my mood good and I know that if something happens, the people around me will do their best, ”the young man said.
His condition prevents him from being active because even his own sweat causes discomfort and dehydration, which is why he rarely goes out when it rains. “If it was raining I tried not to go out because the rain hurts me, but if I have to do it, I make sure I’m completely covered with a jacket and three pairs of sweatpants, “he said. Fortunately for him, it doesn’t rain much in Tucson, Arizona.
Abigail Beck is 15 years old and suffers from aquagenic urticaria, which causes pain. discomfort in the eyes and growing fear about their health thinking about the future.
Meanwhile, he is forced to carefully read all food and beverage labels, but he has difficulty. “I had to check the labels, but everything in this world has water. I had a reaction a few days ago because I drank a sports drink that I didn’t realize had a lot of water in it … I had a reaction for about four hours stomach ache, chest pain, fatigue, and dizziness. ”
But the scariest part of this rare condition is the lack of medical information about it, because it is very rare. “I don’t know if he can kill me because no one has told me otherwise so far. I have symptoms that can cause my heart to stop, but no one knows about the condition, so they don’t know if my heart or lungs can stop working. ”
Although she doesn’t yet have EpiPen (the self-injecting device that delivers the drug epinephrine), she works with a specialist to make a plan for possible allergic reactions when she’s at school. Abigail you start experiencing symptoms when you reach puberty for the first time three years ago, but they took a long time to have a diagnosis. “It was progressing slowly and started to get worse over time. When it rains, it hurts so much, it’s like acid. “it says.
Abigail Beck needs to take a bath several times a week and fast to avoid pain and itching.
“I have never heard of aquagenic urticaria. before this, “said his father Michael, 53.” Honestly, I thought you couldn’t be allergic to water because the body is mostly made of water. “
At first, Abigail thought there was something wrong with the water or she was using lotions that didn’t suit her. But as he got older, bathing and swimming became more difficult. “When I shower, it’s just a little weak, then I have a rash and red welts, then it becomes a rash. When I come out, the reaction really starts to happen. I need to dry as quickly as possible. I have to let the water run in and out of the water as I wash my hair, ”said the girl, who is allowed up to three showers a week. “I am a very clean person and I try to stay clean without having to shower“, it said.
“It gets really frustrating. People ask me to explain how it works. I do, but I can’t explain why it happens because no one knows or understands … I actually had to educate my parents and my doctors about my condition. “Because they haven’t experienced it before,” Abi said, already now he lives taking antihistamines.
“When I tell people I’m allergic to water, people think it’s really ridiculous and a lot of people are shocked. Many tell me that it is not possible because the body is made of water. Some people ask that it’s okay with me because I want to help educate someone, so I’m open to answering. “
Source: Clarin