Allergies can really be miscellaneous, while it is natural for some people to be allergic to dust, others show intolerance to certain food substances like soya, milk and more.
But what this 23-year-old woman is going through is rarest of the rare!
Niah Selway from the UK suffers from a rare and painful allergy to water, one of the essential elements for survival of humanity, which has left the internet in shock. The allergy is named Aquagenic Pruritus.
This rare condition is characterised by the development of severe and pricking-like epidermal itching which are evoked by contact with water. Sometimes, being in contact with water-like substances might also turn out to be deadly.
But as one can’t think of doing their daily life routines without the universal solvent, Niah shares her life story on her social media platforms to explain how she takes a bath without letting a drop of water touch her body.
The ten and half minute video clip titled ‘My updated bath routine’ features her explanation about all kinds of precautions she must take before going for shower and how painful the process could be. She also mentions that she uses the ‘bath oil’ instead of water for the clean-up process as it bubbles up and makes her feel like a normal bath.
Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/KZpMfeX1RCE?t=532
The video and this rare condition raised several queries among netizens like, whether she can consume water or can she take a quick two-minute shower instead of the long painful process.
Sharing some answers to these queries, Niah comments: “It doesn’t make a difference how long I stay in the water, because once the contact has been made with my skin, the allergic reaction will begin after 5-10 mins whether I’m still in contact with water or not. For me, bathing is better because in the shower, the water hits against my skin and causes more pain.”
After suffering for all these years, the 23-year-old started a GoFundMe Page to raise money for treatment at a private medical centre in Germany. Her goal is £2,50,000.
“My skin itches for hours after I come into contact with any form of water including rain, sweat, tears, urine, etc. I wasn’t born with this condition, but it became worse through my teenage years, as I went through puberty,” she writes on the GoFundMe page.
Niah also takes painkillers and anti-sickness medicine to keep normalise her condition a bit, especially if she gets a severe reaction.
Niah also has an active Instagram page where she engages with people inquisitive about her allergy.