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Weird, Shocking, Unbelievable: 5 Unusual Allergies that Will Boggle Your Mind!

Conditions & Diseases . Health

This planet is unique and amazing and absurd. Well for one, because it has an unending store of mind-bogglingly bizarre things- including allergies! While, the very concept of allergies is somewhat weird, the kinds of unheard-of allergies people are known to suffer from are just plain head-scratching. We’ve all heard of people being allergic to nuts, cats or even socks; I do not intend to make light of anyone’s misery, but the following listed allergies will just leave you with nothing but a dropped jaw or furrowed brows!

 

1. Water

Water is a universal solvent. No living being can survive without water. Our body is made up of 96% of water. Can someone please explain to me then, that how it is that humans can be allergic to water?! This condition- called as Aquagenic Urticaria- is known to affect only one in every 23 million people. Being allergic to water is as good as your body imposing a house arrest on you. In this condition, the body explodes into sore itchy red lumps even on so much so as sweating. The person can’t go for a swim, a shower, nor can he drink non-distilled water, without going through hours and hours of excruciating pain. The best way they can take a shower is by doing it for one minute at a time. Now that I think of it, that colourless, odourless, tasteless water isn’t so harmless after all.

 

2. Sex

Errrr… Yes, you read right. This allergy is commonly also known as ‘Human Seminal Plasma Hypersensitivity’ and is common among women who are allergic to the male seminal fluid. When a person with this allergy has sex, what follow is troubled breathing, hives and swelling. But there is a solution to this problem. So please pull your jaw back and breathe a sigh of relief. The simplest way to avoid an allergic reaction is to use a condom or just resort to exposure therapy i.e. spend a lot of time playing hooky, to get desensitized to the reaction.

 

 

3. Eating Apples near a Birch Tree

 

Okay, wait, what? Being allergic to certain foods is understandable. But being allergic to a certain food eaten only at a certain place is downright creepy! Nonetheless, this allergy is true and even though rare, it absolutely exists. An individual may not be allergic to apples or birch trees on their own, but when he eats an apple near a birch tree, he goes into shock- a shock so severe it can be fatal.

 

4. Everything except water

Just as I’m recovering from the surprise at the whole “water allergy” thing, I find this. This condition is so rare, there’s not even a name for it. Nevertheless, when such a person ingests anything that isn’t water, ice or some specific drinks, he/she ends up with severe stomach problems like vomiting and stomach ulcers. The only way to live with this allergy: tube-fed formula for 20 hours a day and an astonishingly high self-control around usual foods.

 

5. Underwear

Weird, eyebrow-raising and slightly gross are the terms that come to mind on reading “Underwear Allergy”. This is that allergy where the skin develops rashes, blisters and heavy itching. Underwear allergy can aggravate to such an extent that even so much so as touching that area can trigger a reaction. The main cause of this is the material the underwear is made of. For instance, polyester, cotton, latex etc. are common materials people are known to be allergic to. Remember, a long time ago Britney Spears was in the news for making a public appearance sans underwear? She was said to have this allergy. But, don’t worry; going commando is not the only solution. The best way to prevent this allergic reaction is to switch to high quality, skin friendly and bacterial resistant underwear. And if problems persist, it’s about time you see a dermatologist.

 

[box_light]Maria Robinson is a skin care specialist and comes across a lot of allergy cases daily. She says that Food allergies are the worst allergies because a person can’t stop eating.[/box_light]

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