I have a rare condition and am allergic to water

A 14-year-old Missouri teen revealed that she has been diagnosed with a rare water allergy that makes her feel like she’s being doused “in gasoline and set on fire.”

Sadie Tessmer said she was diagnosed four months ago with aquagenic urticaria, which causes a person’s skin to erupt in red, itchy hives if exposed to water.

“I always get a reaction when I shower or wash my hands, or even cry or sweat,” Tessmer told the Independent.

“It will hurt so much that I will start crying and that makes it worse because I’m allergic to my own tears, which stresses me out.”

The condition was first noticeable after Tessmer came out of the shower one day. Her mother, who assumed that her daughter made the water too hot, joked that she must be allergic to getting washed.

“At times, it feels like someone is pouring gasoline on my body and setting me on fire and it itches,” said Tessmer.

She added, “I try to avoid getting water on my face or neck because I don’t want to go into anaphylactic shock. I have EpiPens but it’s terrifying.”

The rare condition is said to affect about 50 to 100 people in the world.

Tessmer stated that she began reacting poorly to water in the middle of 2021 and that it took her nearly a full year to get a proper diagnosis. She said it “didn’t seem real” that someone could be allergic to water.

“If someone told me they were, I would think they were lying,” she said.

Tessmer said that the disease has had a profound impact on her mental health and friends.

“I was worried about the things I would be able to do in my life, things like my career and even school,” she said. “I was quite depressed for a few months because of it, and I get really upset when people ask me if I want to go to the beach.

“I keep thinking my life is over. I wanted to be in the military my whole life, and I found out I can’t do that anymore because I can’t exercise, which was devastating,” she added.

In an attempt to minimize the effect of the disease, Tessmer’s mother has taken to home-schooling her daughter so she can avoid sweating through physical activity. The teen said she always enjoyed playing football and swimming, but she is unable to do that now due to her diagnosis.

Despite the pain, Tessmer is still able to consume liquids as long as she uses a straw so the water does not touch her skin.

Her mother, Amber, said it has been “heartbreaking as a parent knowing there is nothing you can do. She comes out of the shower bright red and crying, and I have to try not to cry or she’ll cry even more.

“I am just hoping more research is done, just to make sure she can live a full life, doing all the things she wants to,” her mother added.