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Written by Jayne Thakur | Art by Lily Ozaeta

After toiling hours in the sun or leaving the quiet of an exam hall, most of us often seek out the solace of water. However, for some, water is yet another stressor. With less than 50 cases,  the cause remains unknown to the scientific community.

This allergy belongs to the category of chronic inducible urticaria, which is associated with swelling, itching, and burning. Those with Aquagenic Urticaria typically end up with hives, rashes, & swelling on the parts of the skin that have been in contact with water. To get diagnosed, patients must undergo a ‘water challenge’ test, wherein a wet cloth is placed upon their skin for 20 minutes. If hives form, then it confirms the presence of Aquagenic Urticaria. While overly uncommon, it is more common in post-pubescent females.

Despite the discomfort caused by such an allergy, avoiding water completely is nearly impossible. As such, patients diagnosed with a water allergy are still permitted to take showers, drink water, go outside in the rain, sweat, etc., provided they take their medication. Their doctor best decides personalized treatment, but patients are typically placed on H1 antihistamines (second generation), steroids and other topical medications, SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors), etc., depending on needs. Before water exposure, some are advised to put on petroleum-based cream or an oil-in-water emulsion, to help keep the water away. Most treatment options are widely preventative.

Albeit rare and seemingly absurd, aquagenic urticaria is important to be aware of because of those reasons. Still, research must be done to understand this allergy further due to its limited number of cases. 

Works Cited:

MacIntyre, N. (2024, May 16). Aquagenic urticaria. Allergy & Asthma Network. https://allergyasthmanetwork.org/health-a-z/chronic-urticaria/aquagenic-urticaria 

Anthony, K. (2023, February 06). Aquagenic urticaria: Causes, symptoms, and treatment. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/aquagenic-urticaria  

Bhowmik, S. (2023, February 16). Water allergy: Symptoms, causes, treatment, and faqs. Medical News Today. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/water-allergy