For most of us, the water Represents life. It is present in our most intimate moments: a warm shower after a long day, the sweat that refreshes us after exercising, a tear shed when feeling a deep emotion. But what would happen if each of those everyday situations became a source of pain? That is the reality with which he lives Kendall Brycea 25 -year -old who faces every day as a rare as devastating: the Acuagenic urticariaalso known as Water allergya strange disease that converts contact with water into a terrifying experience.
Acuagenic urticaria is one of those conditions that seem taken from a science fiction novel. But far from fiction, it is a Real dermatological conditionextremely rare, in which the skin reacts to Water contactregardless of its temperature or purity. The simple fact of showering, wash your hands or even sweat can trigger a series of painful symptoms: From intense itching and redness to swelling and burning sensation.
Water allergy
Kendall did not always live with this condition. Remember that it all started in adolescence, around 15 years. At that time, after a bathroom, he noticed eruptions in the skin that he could not explain. At first he thought it was a reaction to some soap or hygiene productbut over time he discovered that the constant was the water itself. What was initially an uncomfortable symptom became, over the years, an unsustainable situation.
The official diagnosis arrived in 2021, after years of visits to specialists, tests, erroneous diagnoses and ineffective treatments. “For a long time I felt that nobody believed me,” says Kendall. «They said it was psychological or that it exaggerated. But I knew something was not right.
The reactions that Kendall suffers are not limited to simple rashes. The young woman describes Episodes of pain so acute that your body enters a state similar to the shock. «There are times that I can’t even talk about pain. I just cry without stopping. I burns as if my skin was burning alive, ”he tells Express.
Even situations as natural as crying can become an ordeal. Tears, loaded with salt water, also trigger the allergic reaction. Ironically, at the time when you need to let off steam, your own body prevents you from doing it without consequences.
But the worst is not just physical pain. It is the constant anticipation, the need to calculate every step, of live in alert mode. «Before leaving, I have to check the weather as if it were planning an extreme expedition. An unforeseen storm can mean hours of suffering, ”he confesses.
Since it was diagnosed, doctors have tried different medications with the hope of mitigate symptoms: antihistamines, corticosteroids, topical treatments, experimental therapies. But nothing has been effective. “I have tried everything, sometimes I feel that I am an experiment,” he says. “And now, being pregnant, the options are further reduced.”
The frustration of not finding relief is mixed with the fear of the future. Kendall does not know if this condition will be aggravated, if it will affect your children or if one day you can return to have a “normal” life. And yet, it does not give up.
The young woman has found some peace of mind in sharing her story with the world. Through social networks and interviews, it has made visible the Water allergya disease that very few had heard. «There are many people living with invisible diseases. I just want to know that we exist, that our pain is real, ”he says.
Despite all obstacles, Kendall has not lost hope. He has a very simple, almost banal dream for anyone, but deeply significant for her: power walk in pain without painhug their children without thinking about sweat or water, bathe without having to prepare mentally for the suffering that will come later.
«I just want a normal life. I don’t look for luxuries or anything extraordinary. I just want Live without fear of waterwithout having to explain my pain every time I say that I cannot do something, ”he concludes.
Prevalence
Acuagenic urticaria is an extremely unusual condition that is part of the so -called “Physical urticarias” A group of allergies triggered by stimuli such as heat, cold, pressure or, in this case, contact with water.
Although it is an allergic reaction, it is not related to a traditional allergy to a specific chemical of water, but is produced by a mechanism that is not yet fully understood. They have registered less than 100 documented cases Clinically throughout the world, although it is estimated that there could be more cases without diagnosing, either due to lack of medical knowledge or the strange of symptoms.
