IanMost Bizarre Allergies
March 2nd 2011 02:14
Allergy is a hypersensitivity disorder of the immune system. Allergic reactions occur to normally harmless environmental substances known as allergens.
Some allergies like hay fever are common, however as reported on the Mother Nature Network there are some people inflicted with most unusual allergies.
Below are a few examples, read the full article here.
Considering the human body is about 60 percent water it seems implausible — if not impossible — to be allergic to water, but about 40 people worldwide have been diagnosed with the condition. Known as aquagenic urticaria, it causes the skin to break out in painful hives and welts when it comes in contact with water, and in severe cases, a person's throat can swell when they drink water. Michaela Dutton (pictured) a British woman who developed a water allergy after the birth of her son, drinks Diet Coke to survive — her body tolerates it even though it contains carbonated water. How do people like Dutton bathe? Quickly and carefully because even brief contact with water can cause a painful itchy rash that lasts for hours. Doctors aren't sure what causes water allergy, but some have hypothesized that elevated histamine levels play a role.
If someone tells you they’re allergic to exercise, there’s a slim chance they’re telling the truth. About 1,000 people suffer from exercise-induced anaphylaxis, a severe allergic reaction caused by physical exertion that may be related to eating certain foods or taking specific medications before exercise. Fatigue, itchy skin, hives and swelling of the neck, torso and extremities typically appear during or right after exercise, and symptoms can linger for hours. More severe reactions can include choking, vomiting, increased blood pressure and even death, so people with this allergy are advised to carry an epinephrine kit.
People with dermatographia are sensitive to pressure and touch, and depending on the severity of the case, even a slight touch can trigger an allergic episode that creates a raised, itchy red rash. It is unknown why this allergy occurs, but it's estimated that 2 to 5 percent of the population has it. Because words and designs can easily be scratched on the skin, the condition is often referred to as “skin writing disease.”
Talking on a cell phone, reheating leftovers in the microwave, using a computer, cleaning the bathroom and driving a car are normal parts of living in the 21st century, but doing such ordinary tasks is painful for some people. A person with multiple chemical sensitivity experiences headaches and flu-like symptoms when exposed to anything from perfume to laundry detergent. Perhaps even more bizarre are people with allergies to electromagnetic fields from phones, computers, cars and microwaves.
Electosensitivity syndrome isn’t a recognized medical condition, and doctors say there’s little scientific evidence to support a link between electromagnetic fields and poor health. But many people claim to suffer from this condition and say they experience painful skin rashes, swollen body parts, headaches and nasal discharge, among other symptoms. Debbie Bird believes she’s allergic to modern technology and says she develops a rash and her eyelids swell whenever she’s gets in a car, uses a microwave or enters a place with Wi-Fi. As a result, she has transformed her home into an EMF-free zone, putting protective films on windows, using special carbon paint and even sleeping under a silver-plated mosquito net.
This medical condition is so rare that science has yet to name it, but there are children who are so hypersensitive to food and drink that water is the only thing they can safely consume. One of the most severe and highly publicized cases is that of Kaleb Bussenschutt, a 6-year-old Australian boy who can eat only water, ice and one brand of lemonade. If he eats anything else, he develops ulcers and experiences agonizing stomach pain, so he must receive necessary nutrients through a feeding tube connected directly into his stomach 20 hours a day.
Doctors are baffled by Kaleb's case, but they think he suffers from multiple food allergies and severe malabsorption that makes his body unable to cope with eating food. Food allergies affect about 1 in 20 children, but the severity of Kaleb's allergy is extremely rare.
Some allergies like hay fever are common, however as reported on the Mother Nature Network there are some people inflicted with most unusual allergies.
Below are a few examples, read the full article here.
Water
Exercise
Touch
Modern Living
Talking on a cell phone, reheating leftovers in the microwave, using a computer, cleaning the bathroom and driving a car are normal parts of living in the 21st century, but doing such ordinary tasks is painful for some people. A person with multiple chemical sensitivity experiences headaches and flu-like symptoms when exposed to anything from perfume to laundry detergent. Perhaps even more bizarre are people with allergies to electromagnetic fields from phones, computers, cars and microwaves.
Electosensitivity syndrome isn’t a recognized medical condition, and doctors say there’s little scientific evidence to support a link between electromagnetic fields and poor health. But many people claim to suffer from this condition and say they experience painful skin rashes, swollen body parts, headaches and nasal discharge, among other symptoms. Debbie Bird believes she’s allergic to modern technology and says she develops a rash and her eyelids swell whenever she’s gets in a car, uses a microwave or enters a place with Wi-Fi. As a result, she has transformed her home into an EMF-free zone, putting protective films on windows, using special carbon paint and even sleeping under a silver-plated mosquito net.
All food and drink
Doctors are baffled by Kaleb's case, but they think he suffers from multiple food allergies and severe malabsorption that makes his body unable to cope with eating food. Food allergies affect about 1 in 20 children, but the severity of Kaleb's allergy is extremely rare.
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