Allergic reaction to the cold
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On a day like today, Sandi Ferreira wouldn’t dare step outside. “My ears will start ringing, I’ll get like a really bad headache, then here comes the itching and the swelling. And it’s like you kind of want to move but you can’t because it hurts. And you want to scratch but it hurts.” She has cold urticaria- an allergy that makes her skin break out in hives when it’s exposed to a drop in temperature. Most people develop the allergy after a bee sting or a virus and it disappears in a few months, but Ferreira has had it for twelve years.
According to allergist, Dr. Joseph Greenbaum, cases like hers are rare.
Cold urticaria isn’t well understood, but we do know the hives are caused by overly sensitive mast cells- which control allergic reactions. The hives aren’t just triggered by extreme cold- it’s more of a reaction to drastic changes in temperature. So on a hot July day, jumping into cold water could be deadly. “The danger lies in if you’re warm on a summer day and you suddenly jump into a pool and get hives all over your body. Then it’s the blood serum going into your skin- you could faint.” Says Dr. Greenbaum.
Sandi Ferreira avoids cold food and drinks, especially in the summer. They can make her lips and mouth swell. She also bundles up whenever she has to leave the house. Changes like that are bearable. The tough part is missing out on anything that could make her too cold – like waiting in line with friends to get into a bar “I can’t wait in that line”.
In weather like this, it can get lonely.
