Aquagenic urticaria is a rare form of urticaria, a type of hive that causes a rash to appear after you touch the water. It’s a form of physical hives and is associated with itching and burning.
Aquagenic hives are thought to be a water allergy. However, research is limited.
According to a 2011 report, there are fewer than 100 cases of aquagenic urticaria reported in the medical literature.
On Twitter, the account named @FunnyAfrica uploaded a video about Tessa Hansen-Smith telling her story about her condition.
There are no known cures for this condition – Tessa might have to deal with the everyday contact of water for the rest of her life.
Only showering once in one to two months, Tessa avoids any activity that would cause her to sweat or keep in contact with anything that would involve water entirely.
Although she does brush her teeth, it was said to be a painful experience as it could make her gums swell.
Aside from the difficulties of doing proper hygiene, she could not consume anything that has water in it – like fruits or vegetables, and her only way to get hydrated is by drinking milk.
Tessa also mentioned how she is allergic to some people, one person is more than the other – and that has impacted her social and love life.
From an early age, Tessa wanted to be a nurse. Unfortunately, her condition worsened and she had to give up the dream entirely. The young girl is currently in college, and she will create a Youtube channel as soon as she graduates to share awareness on her condition.
Tessa had also made an appearance on Dr. Oz to talk about her condition.