Meet the Girl Who Is Allergic To Water; Even Her Tears Hurt Her.
Niah Selway, 17, is in pain daily but refuses to cry. She is so sensitive to water that even her tears cause severe hives.
She is one of just 35 people worldwide suffering from aquagenic urticarial.
“Living with it is a nightmare,” Niah remarked. The water feels like it’s scorching my skin when it comes into contact with it. I’m in many agonies, and no one can help me.”
Thus, much like her pals, she went swimming, would get caught in the rain, and splashed in puddles without suspecting it was the water that provoked her terrible rash.
The troubling symptoms began when she was five, but no one could figure out what was causing them.
Yet, when she grew older, Niah continued her research online. “I found a couple of stories,” she explained. One was a girl in America who had the same problem as me, and I was like, ‘Wow, now I’ve found a term for it.'”
A dermatologist diagnosed aquagenic urticaria. However, there is no cure. “I’m trying different doses of antihistamine to see if they can help the level of my reaction, but they won’t ever stop it,” Niah, who can sip water without pain, explained.
As a result, the brave business student from Hastings, East Sussex, realizes she must live with her discomfort.
Niah has to time her shower soak ideally to make it as pain-free as possible. “I can be in there for five minutes before anything happens,” she explained.
“But if I get out right away, it will get worse, so I have to stay in the shower until it ends,” says Niah Selway, who is allergic to water.
“Even if water causes my reaction, it is also the water that soothes it. I never know how long I’ll be in the shower because it depends on how I react.
“When I take off make-up with baby wipes and use toner and moisturizer, it stings. My face burns for up to half an hour, but I must continue.”
Hussain, Niah’s boyfriend, despises seeing her suffer. “It’s terrible for him because I simply need to be left alone,” she explained.
Yet the harsh allergy means that even one tear aggravates the anguish if it all becomes too much. “It will start to sting and feel incredibly sore and difficult to touch,” Niah groaned.
