We all have different preferences for the four seasons of the year for several reasons, including temperature variations. Winter, for example, is unbearable for the most cautious and pleasant for others. But for this young woman, it is rather a perpetual fight against the cold.
A rare disease
Allergy, also called "hypersensitivity" is a deviant reaction of the immune system to factors outside the body that are, however, harmless. It manifests itself in the form of symptoms of varying intensity, depending on the case, in different parts of the body, such as the skin, the eyes, the respiratory tract or the digestive system. An allergy attack can be quite harmless as it can be downright deadly especially in the case of anaphylactic shock.
Certain diseases such as cold urticaria are so similar to allergies that confusion is quickly made, hence the name of allergy to cold. According to allergist Claude Mouton, this pathology is very rare since it represents only 2% of chronic urticaria. It is manifested by swelling of the skin and can in rare cases cause digestive disorders such as vomiting or hypotension.
Winter, a season dreaded by some
Arianna Kent is a 21-year-old Canadian who unfortunately suffers from cold urticaria, which literally means that the slightest change in temperature or contact with cold air or water can lead her straight. to emergencies.
The worst part of all this is that the body of the young woman reacts badly enough to these allergy attacks because not only can her body be covered with reddish patches, but in addition to that, she risks suffering a anaphylactic shock. She has already had to do no less than 3 trips to the hospital in one month because of these symptoms.
Arianna says that unfortunately, many people around her do not take seriously the situation in which she finds herself. She says, "It's not every day that you hear someone say that he has cold urticaria, and it's really hard to bear to see that so many people do not believe you or completely ignore him. existence of such a disease. "
She goes on to say that when she went to the hospital for the first time to tell the doctors that she was suffering, some of them stared at her and thought she was crazy. She also finds it difficult to believe her, since it is not uncommon for someone to tell her that she is just chilly and that what she has is not anything pathology.
Conditions that do not make things simpler
The place where she lives does not help because the temperature can reach -40 degrees. It must be constantly ready for all eventualities and avoid even the smallest things of everyday life like air conditioning.
"I probably had hundreds of reactions, even the most mundane things can trigger an allergic reaction at home ... It's pretty progressive, everything starts with the appearance of small rashes on my arms, then it starts to to expand and to gain volume. It gives me a burning, itchy feeling all over my skin and throat, noisy breathing, and difficulty breathing ... I find it terrifying to think that I run a real risk if I ever find myself in an area without medical help possible. Arianna explains.
Everything has not always been so for her
Arianna's ordeal began when she, at the age of 14, felt these symptoms for the first time in contact with the snow. She and her family initially took it for a common food allergy, but only after a few tests did she discover that she had cold urticaria, a rare condition.
Some might think that it would be enough to move to live in a hot country, but the triggers of the symptoms are numerous and nothing but a simple cool drink or a bath can put it in danger. It has nevertheless managed to reduce the number of hospitalizations per month, so it has gone from 3 visits to the hospital to just one by adapting its diet.
It should therefore avoid any food containing histamine such as dairy products, pineapples, gherkins or fermented meats. She seems to be doing this, but what would help her more is that the people around her are more understanding.