Aquagenic Urticaria - Is it possible to be allergic to water?

Daily tasks such as drinking water, working out, and bathing are painful and life threatening for people with a condition named Aquagenic Urticaria. Through medical history only 37 cases have been reported, limiting our knowledge on the condition however there are some things we do know.

Contact with water will break out the affected person with hives which are typically red and itchy but have been reported to also burn. Various sources of water trigger a response such as rain water, snow, sweat, etc... To prevent pain, people mix baking soda with water to bathe and drink juice or diet sodas which contain water.

The exact reason why Aquagenic Urticaria occurs is unknown but researchers have been

investigating and the symptoms people experience have been tied to histamine. Histamine is a biogenic amine which when binded to specific cell receptors can cause allergy symptoms. It has also been linked to chemicals or allergens which may be polluting unfiltered water.

To be diagnosed, doctors perform a “water test” in which they will test the body’s response when a room temperature warm compress is placed on the upper chest. A diagnosis is given if they body breaks into hives. While there is no cure, there are treatment options to help pain such as medication for allergy-like symptoms or phototherapy which thickens the first layer of skin to prevent water from getting under the skin.