16-02-2025
Mum with rare condition suffers 'excruciating pain' when she showers or washes hands
A mum-of-one who is allergic to water says taking a shower or getting caught in the rain feels like someone has "taken a lighter to her body".
Kendall Bryce, 25, has aquagenic urticaria - a rare condition which causes her skin to swell and break out in hives whenever she comes into contact with water.
She says she feels pain whenever she tries to wash her hands or her body, and feels her throat "burning" when she drinks water.
"It really is a daily struggle. I can only have a bath or take a shower twice a week because of how excruciating the pain is - so I constantly worry I stink," says Bryce, who is pregnant with her second child.
"I've never been able to give my one-year-old son a bath. My mum has to do it for me."
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Bryce, from Durham, is also affected by rain water and very humid days, meaning her life is "dictated by the weather".
"I check the forecast every day and stay home if it's raining or going to rain. But if I get caught out by surprise - my body reacts and it's really painful," she says.
Doctors have been unable to find any medication which works for Bryce, who says her GP "didn't have a clue what to do" about her condition.
The stay-at-home mum is speaking out now in the hope that someone somewhere will be able to provide her with a long-term solution.
Bryce first discovered her condition when she was 15, as she began breaking out in hives whenever she took a bath.
Initially, she could treat her symptoms with Piriton - an antihistamine medicine - but her condition has since deteriorated, with her pain becoming so bad in the past few years her body can go into shock.
"When it started, it felt a bit like I was getting nettle stings all over my body. But now it feels like someone has taken a lighter to my body. It's excruciating," she says.
"I'll be in agony for about half an hour after washing - but it feels like it's two hours. I cry throughout.
"It's actually so bad that my body can go into shock - so it's dangerous. It means my mum has to sit with my son whenever I have a bath."
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Kendall was eventually referred to a dermatologist at the University Hospital of North Durham - who finally diagnosed her with aquagenic urticaria in 2021, but she is yet to find any effective medication.
"At the moment, there are only so many things I can try as I'm pregnant. Once I give birth, we'll try more. But the thing is, the doctors just don't know what will help," she says.
"I really hope an expert might get in touch and know what to do. At the moment, it all feels quite degrading. I just want a normal life where I can go out in the rain, have a shower, and give my son a bath."
Aquagenic urticaria is a rare condition in which a person's skin develops red, itchy hives after exposure to water.
Itchy hives appear on the skin, usually on the chest, abdomen, pelvis, back or arms after exposure to water, according to the Allergy Asthma Network.
The condition, first reported in 1964, most often affects women. It commonly arises during or after puberty, with an average onset age of 19, Medical News Today reports, although it can occur later in life.
To give an idea of just how rare it is, a 2020 study estimated the number of cases worldwide to be less than 100.
People with aquagenic urticaria can experience hives when they come into contact with rain, snow, sweat and tears, and the temperature of the water makes no difference to their reactions.
Symptoms normally start within 30 minutes of exposure to water, can last between 30 minutes and two hours, and usually go away on their own.
Reactions do not typically occur when drinking water because the water doesn't touch the skin, the Allergy Asthma Network says, but some people may experience symptoms like swelling or irritation on the inside of the lips or mouth.
It is not known exactly what causes aquagenic urticaria, but theories include an allergen or chemical in the water (rather than the water itself), or water interacting with something on the skin.
While there is no cure, antihistamines are often recommended as medication, as well as topical creams which can form a barrier between the skin and water.
Phototherapy, where UV light is used to reduce inflammation, has been used to treat aquagenic urticaria successfully in some patients, although relapses are still common.
Doctors may also recommend asthma medication omalizumab, or prescribe selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).
