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Alexandra AllenAmerican, victim of water allergy.
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Biography of Alexandra Allen
Alexandra Allen, an American, is a victim of water allergy. Allergies to bees or peanuts can be unpleasant and often life-threatening, but by following certain restrictions, it is not too difficult to avoid unpleasant consequences in such cases. However, Alexandra Allen suffers from a much more dangerous and noticeable condition - she is plagued by... water allergy. From a young age, Alexandra Allen chose an interesting career path - even as a little girl, she firmly knew that she would become a marine biologist and live on a yacht. Unfortunately, her plans were not meant to be - it turned out that she had a rather unpleasant allergy that put a damper on her dreams. It wasn't fish or sea salt that triggered allergies in young Allen - the situation was much worse; as it turned out, Alexandra suffered from water allergy. The problem first manifested when she was 12 years old during a family vacation. A seemingly ordinary swim in the hotel pool ended with unexpected consequences - overnight, the girl's skin began to itch intensely and became covered in welts. Waking up was extremely unpleasant; the girl spent some time in the bath, desperately trying not to scratch herself until she bled. The situation somewhat eased when her mother brought her some Benadryl, but the experience stayed with Alexandra for a long time. Unfortunately, Allen and her mother drew the wrong but logical conclusion from what had happened - they assumed that Alexandra had become a victim of an allergy to chlorine or some similar chemical from the pool. Taking their conclusion into account, Allen decided to avoid swimming pools as much as possible in the future. Sadly, after some time, it became clear that avoiding swimming pools did not solve the problem entirely - similar symptoms appeared when Alexandra decided to swim in a regular lake. The lake was well known for the cleanliness of its water, so blaming the reaction on chemicals was not possible this time. At the age of 15, Alexandra Allen stumbled upon an interesting website - almost by chance. This website had a medical nature and described aquagenic urticaria. The victims of this condition showed an extremely painful reaction when their skin came into contact with ordinary water and, in general, exhibited increased dryness of the skin and eyes. After considering what she had read, Allen realized that the article described her symptoms almost perfectly. Visiting a dermatologist, Alexandra discussed her theory and received full confirmation. The doctor gathered an impromptu panel and conducted several additional tests to clarify the diagnosis. Among other things, Alexandra had to spend some time in a bath with water - which, it must be said, was torture for her. Aquagenic urticaria is an extremely rare phenomenon; according to dermatologist Barney J. Kenet from the Cornell Medical Center, there have been only about fifty documented cases to date. While medical professionals study this condition in educational institutions, encountering it in practice is rare. Essentially, this condition is not a "true allergy," although the symptoms are not much different - visually, the disease manifests as a quite serious allergy. The problem is that the reaction can be triggered by even trivial reasons - the victims of this condition have to avoid not only swimming in pools and lakes but also rain and snow; moreover, sweat or tears can often provoke a reaction. Based on the limited available data, women suffer from this condition more often than men, and it often first manifests after the onset of puberty. The exact cause of this unpleasant condition is not yet clear; medical experts have several theories, but no clear evidence. Some believe that the cause lies in the sweat glands of the skin, which produce a certain toxin that triggers an allergic reaction. Others blame antigens that cause the immune system to produce antibodies that are absorbed into the skin after being dissolved in water, leading to unpleasant consequences. However, for Alexandra Allen, the exact cause is not so important - especially since it does not offer any solutions to her problem. What is more important is the fact that now she has to live, doing her best to avoid any contact with water. As Allen herself admitted, living in this regime is not easy. Swimming had to be excluded from the list of acceptable hobbies immediately. Completely giving up washing was not possible for Alexandra, but she found a loophole - she became a vegetarian, which significantly reduced the oiliness of her skin. Additionally, Allen avoids excessive physical exertion. All of this allows her to take showers 2-3 times a week, and she does it very quickly. Unfortunately, the situation is unlikely to improve over time - when left to its own devices, this type of disease only worsens. Recently, Alexandra had to come face to face with her sister's misfortune - her sister revealed that she could only drink diet cola from a certain point onwards. However, Allen tries to look at the situation with optimism - and so far, she is managing quite well.
