Rare Skin Condition Makes Woman Allergic to Her Sweat and Tears

A 28-year-old woman suffers from a rare immunological condition that forced to give up her career. Julie Reid, a resident of Florida, developed a devastating immunological condition called cholinergic urticaria, which causes her skin to become hypersensitive to emotional stress and exercise. If she sweats, cries or simply takes a hot shower.

"It's torture living like this; it's torture. I just feel like a monster now," said Reid.

Reid is a dancer and gymnast by profession. She meets her needs by teaching other people. Now, because she is allergic to her tears and sweat, she had to quit her job as it would cause her to break out in massive hives for hours or days.

she said that doesn't leave the house during the day over fear she could sweat and break out into hives.

"I went from being a gymnast and a dancer, to not being able to walk through the grocery store, during the day, without receiving hurtful stares," Reid said on her website. "It is just as emotionally painful as it is physically."

According to the National Organization for Rare Diseases, the condition often comes on spontaneously. Doctors can only offer supporting medications such as antihistamines to patients. The disease will usually stop just as suddenly as it started, though there is no timeline for when it might end.

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"I cannot describe to you the depths of depression that exist when your life is just, taken from you. You don't realize how much your body sweats until you become allergic to it. I would say it's one step shy of being allergic to breathing or blinking," said Reid.

"I'm allergic to myself," said Reid. Without a job, she had difficulty paying for doctors appointments and has become depressed about her inability to return to her old life.

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Source-Medindia