Why don't people allergic to water die?

[Shrooborb]

Example https://www.thefreelibrary.com/JUST+ONE+CUP+OF+WATER+COULD+KILL+LITTLE+HEIDI%3B+Girl's+deadly+allergy...-a061152595

 

it says she cannot even drink a (quote) mouthful of water without going into anaphylactic shock but she can drink milk and orange juice, and swallowing her saliva (which is 98% water) doesn't cause her throat to close etc.

[Scholar4Truth]

I know some people who can't even drink water at all cause it causes them to have a bad gag reflex. 

[Eldorado]

For those interested....

"Here's What Happens When You Develop an Allergy to Water"

At Science Alert: https://www.sciencealert.com/here-s-what-happens-if-you-develop-an-allergy-to-water

 

"Living with Aquagenic Urticaria"

At People Magazine: https://people.com/celebrity/alexandra-allen-breaks-out-in-hives-when-exposed-to-h2o/

 

Aquagenic Urticaria at MD Health: https://www.md-health.com/Aquagenic-Urticaria.html"]

Aquagenic Urticaria at Rare Diseases dot info: https://rarediseases.info.nih.gov/diseases/10901/aquagenic-urticaria

Edited August 15, 2019 by Eldorado

[Shrooborb]

But how do their immune systems ''know'' if they just drank plain water versus water with a lot of stuff dissolved in it (tea, milk, cola etc)?

 

For example a girl can't drink even a sip of plain water or she goes into shock, but she drinks several glasses of tea, milk and orange juice a day with little to no effect.

[Commander CMG]

I would hate to be allergic to alcohol. 

I could manage no water but life would not be worth living, no lager or red wine.

[Rlyeh]

The understanding is they don't have a true allergy to water because they'd be dead (92% water in blood), rather it's thought it's a reaction to a chemical in the water or in the skin.

https://rarediseases.info.nih.gov/diseases/10901/aquagenic-urticaria

Edited August 15, 2019 by Rlyeh

[Shrooborb]

8 minutes ago, Rlyeh said:

The understanding is they don't have a true allergy to water because they'd be dead (92% water in blood), rather it's thought it's a reaction to a chemical in the water or in the skin.

https://rarediseases.info.nih.gov/diseases/10901/aquagenic-urticaria

It can't be chemicals since they still react to distilled water. The chemical in the skin doesn't explain why this girl goes into shock from drinking plain water https://www.thefreelibrary.com/JUST+ONE+CUP+OF+WATER+COULD+KILL+LITTLE+HEIDI%3B+Girl's+deadly+allergy...-a061152595

 

Your bloodstream and throat aren't skin. 

Edited August 15, 2019 by Shrooborb

[Rlyeh]

Just now, Shrooborb said:

Your bloodstream and throat aren't skin. 

Your bloodstream goes to the dermis which is part of your skin.   

['Walt' E. Kurtz]

1 hour ago, Iilaa'mpuul'xem said:

I would hate to be allergic to alcohol. 

I could manage no water but life would not be worth living, no lager or red wine.

We're all alergic to it in certain amounts.. i have to complain to the store next time , damn i got really sick from  the whiskey you are selling i want my money back.

[moonman]

I don't buy it. You can't be allergic to something your are mostly made of.

There is something else at play.

 

[Shrooborb]

13 minutes ago, moonman said:

I don't buy it. You can't be allergic to something your are mostly made of.

There is something else at play.

 

Why do you think they only react to drinking plain water but not milk? Milk is 90% water. it can't be chemicals in the water they are reacting to as it says even lab grade distilled water still sets off a reaction.

[moonman]

17 hours ago, Shrooborb said:

Why do you think they only react to drinking plain water but not milk? Milk is 90% water. it can't be chemicals in the water they are reacting to as it says even lab grade distilled water still sets off a reaction.

I don't know. Absolutely pure water is hard to come by in nature and the water in our bodies isn't pure by any means, I wonder if salt water sets them off as well.

When you dissolve things in water, do they bond with the water molecules? I suppose unbonded water molecules could be the cause. Mix the water with anything that bonds to the molecules, no more issue.

[stereologist]

Is that article linked to in the OP real? Here is what it states.

Quote

She cannot DRINK it, BATHE in it or go out in the rain and SPLASH in it. 

But the linked to article about the disease states this:

Quote

Aquagenic urticaria is a rare condition in which urticaria (hives) develop rapidly after the skin comes in contact with water, regardless of its temperature.

One place claims drink it is a problem and another claims it is just contact with the skin.

[stereologist]

Here is Heidi as an adult.

https://socialnewsdaily.com/75296/woman-possesses-fatal-water-allergy/

That's the same text isn't it?

Some ideas on what it is are in this article.

http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20160915-the-woman-who-is-allergic-to-water

Quote

Technically, the condition isn’t actually an allergy at all, since it’s likely caused by an immune reaction to something within the body, rather than an over-reaction to something foreign, such as pollen or peanuts.

Quote

And while surviving with the condition is not a problem, enduring everyday life is another matter. 

 

[Shrooborb]

Any idea why milk is OK for her but a single sip of plain water sends her into shock? milk is like 90% water so if she had the typical antibodies against water they'd activate instantly inside her body, not when oral water is introduced as they 'grab' molecules at the molecular level.

[stereologist]

On 8/17/2019 at 6:28 AM, Shrooborb said:

Any idea why milk is OK for her but a single sip of plain water sends her into shock? milk is like 90% water so if she had the typical antibodies against water they'd activate instantly inside her body, not when oral water is introduced as they 'grab' molecules at the molecular level.

It isn't an allergic reaction. It's an auto immune reaction as mention in the following link.

http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20160915-the-woman-who-is-allergic-to-water

It isn't clear why water with things in it is safer than water.