By Lisa D. Ellis
When you think of things that trigger your allergies, you probably conjure up images of pollen, dust, mold and trees. But did you know that some people's symptoms are triggered by much more unusual allergies? In fact, serious reactions can occur when they're exposed to the most common, and highly unlikely, culprits such as water, sunlight, sweat, cold and heat.
Unusual Allergies: Sunlight
While others look forward to warm, sunny days, if one of your unusual allergies is to sunlight, you may want to spend the summer months hiding out in a dark cave. While being allergic to the sun is rare, in people who have this condition, exposure to the sun's rays can cause certain proteins in their skin to change. In mild cases, hives and itching occur but in more serious forms, it can even cause an anaphylactic reaction and possible death if it goes untreated.
Unusual Allergies: Water
You need to water to stay clean, right? Yet in an unlucky few, an allergy to water can occur from everyday contact such as getting caught in the rain or showering, causing weather and cleanliness to become very large challenges. Further, even moist air can cause this reaction to flare. The symptoms can include a bad case of blisters and welts on your skin where the water has touched it. Since it's impossible to avoid water completely, though, if this is one of your unusual allergies, you'll need to rely on antihistamines to help you get through a typically day unscathed. But if your allergy is particularly severe, you could have a reaction even to your own body fluids, such as blood and saliva.
Unusual Allergies: Sweat
It's perfectly normal to sweat on a warm day, or when you work out particularly hard. But what if you own sweat causes you to break out in hives or a heat rash? Some people who have an allergy to sweat find that the chemicals that their body secretes can create this problem. If you have a mild case, you'll probably be able to handle this situation on your own but if your reaction is severe, you can be at risk for a serious problem almost every day.
Unusual Allergies: Heat and Cold
Are you allergic to the weather? Strange as it sounds, if cold or hot conditions cause a reaction to form, the answer could be yes. If you're allergic to the cold, any skin exposed on a winter's day can be at risk for hives. Further, swimming in cold water can put you at even more serious risk. In fact, your body temperature could drop so low that you may experience anaphylaxis. On the flip side, if you have a heat allergy, you'll need to avoid getting too warm. This means that you won't be able to bask in the sun outdoors or even hold a hot drink, which can be enough to set your symptoms off. These and other exposures to heat can trigger your immune system to react with hives and other allergic symptoms that can be difficult to bear.
If you do suffer from any of these, or other, unusual allergies, you'll need to work closely with your doctor to manage the condition so you can get through the day symptom-free on a regular basis.
Sources:
Medical News Today
www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/16331.php
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