For most of us, a hot or even a cold shower is luxury. For 26-year-old mom Joanna Watkins, it is torture. She has an extremely rare condition called Aquagenic Urticaria—a water allergy. From showering to tears, and even sweating, any exposure to water triggers intense burning, itching, and hives that last for hours on end.

And this is the kicker—she developed this condition in pregnancy. What started out as some minor irritation of the skin soon became excruciating pain with every drop of water. Now, something as ordinary as washing her hands, walking in the rain, or even drinking a glass of water is no longer routine—it's an act of courage.

Here, we consider what it truly is to live in a body that rejects the most basic building block of life, how she manages motherhood within it all, and the larger conversation surrounding invisible illnesses that affect not only the body—but every aspect of daily living.

This strange and mostly misjudged allergy to water has turned mundane daily activities into frightening experiences. From coping with her pregnancy to tending her toddler, Kendall navigates cautiously through her life, hoping for relief from a condition whose origins and essence are still poorly understood—by many physicians and medical researchers themselves.

What is Aquagenic Urticaria?

Aquagenic urticaria, also referred to as "water allergy," is a rare condition wherein the skin responds to contact with water at any temperature or level of cleanliness. Upon exposure, patients typically experience burning hives, redness, and itching within minutes. The condition is found in fewer than 100 people all over the world and occurs more often in women.

In Kendall's instance, even sweat or tears from her can trigger a skin reaction that is painful. "When it started, it was like I was being stung all over my body with nettles," she recollects. "Now it is like someone has held a flame to my skin."

Kendall first became ill at 15 years of age after breaking out in hives following a shower. She was initially kept under control using over-the-counter antihistamines like Piriton. Gradually, though, her condition worsened. It was not until 2021, nearly a decade later, that she was officially diagnosed by a dermatologist from the University Hospital of North Durham.

Even after diagnosis, treatment and information regarding it is limited. "The GP didn't know what to do. It's just so odd a condition, not many people have it, and not many people have even heard of it," she says.

Life at the Mercy of the Weather

Having aquagenic urticaria has placed Kendall in a highly regimented lifestyle. She checks the weather every day, avoiding rain as well as hot, humid conditions. "If I find myself outside unexpectedly, my body reacts and it hurts so much," she says. Her exposure to water is so limited that she can take a shower or bath every other day—having someone close at hand in case her body closes up.

"I cry through the process. It takes two hours, though it only takes half an hour. It's that bad my body goes into shock," she says. During these episodes, Kendall needs someone to look after her son, demonstrating just how far this condition reaches into every area of her life.

One of the hardest aspects of Kendall’s condition is how it impairs her ability to care for her child. “I’ve never been able to give my one-year-old son a bath. My mom has to do it for me,” she says, visibly distressed. Even drinking water causes a burning sensation in her throat, leaving her constantly dehydrated and exhausted.

The illness has left her feeling alone and powerless. "At the moment, everything feels so humiliating. I just want a normal life where I can go out in the rain, have a shower, and bathe my son," she says.

What Causes Aquagenic Urticaria?

Though the exact cause is unclear, researchers have proposed two major theories:

Interaction between water and sebum: Water may alter the skin's natural oils (sebum), stimulating mast cells to discharge histamines, resulting in hives.

Water as a carrier: Water may dissolve foreign allergens or irritants on the skin, inducing an immune reaction.

Due to the infrequency of the condition, studies are few and facts are mostly anecdotal or case-study oriented.

Can Water Allergy be Treated?

There is not yet a verified treatment for aquagenic urticaria. It is treated symptomatically with a variety of the following:

Oral antihistamines: Often the first line of therapy.

Topical therapy: In the form of corticosteroid cream and skin barriers.

Phototherapy: UV therapy to desensitize the skin.

Other medication: Including drugs used for asthma, anabolic steroids, and SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors).

Unfortunately, due to the fact that she is pregnant, Kendall's treatment opportunities are now minimal. "They've tried many different medications, but I continued to react. I still have not found anything that works," she says. After she delivers her baby, she would like to return to attempting more aggressive treatment.

Kendall is sharing her story in the belief that someone out there will be able to tell her something new about her condition, or suggest a new lead in treatment. "I do hope that someone might ring up and know what to do," she says.

Her vulnerability and resilience come across in every sentence. Though aquagenic urticaria is a medically rare condition, its psychological effect on sufferers and their families is very real.

One must be very careful about what they consume. One of the easiest ways to get sick is by eating food or having beverages from unsafe and unsanitary places. That is why people are discouraged from eating at roadside stalls or food from street hawkers who do not follow the food safety protocol.

Many people do not know how unsafe tap water can be. While the tap water available at home goes through treatment, it is best to only drink it after boiling or opting for water from the filter. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) explains that these health issues can range from mild to serious, depending on what germs are being transmitted.

In a TikTok, Doctor Suraj Kukadia who goes by Dr. Sooj, a practicing NHS GP and emergency doctor, issued a critical warning. urgent warning that if you use regular tap water to rinse your nose, you could be exposed to a very rare but dangerous "brain-eating amoeba." Even though tap water in the UK is perfectly safe to drink, it's a different story when it comes to cleaning out your nose.

Why Tap Water Is Risky for Your Nose

Rinsing your nose is a common thing people do when they have a cold, allergies, or a sinus infection. You usually flush water or salt water into your nose to wash away snot, dust, pollen, and anything else that might be irritating your nasal passages. But in a video, a doctor known online as Dr. Sooj, explained why tap water is risky for this. He said that "tap water has bacteria. It has amoeba, it has protozoa. There are tiny living things in the water." When you drink these, your stomach acid usually kills them, but when they go up your nose, it's a different story.

Brain-Eating Amoeba

The main worry is a "brain-eating amoeba" called Naegleria fowleri. This tiny creature loves to live in warm fresh water, like lakes, rivers, and hot springs. The Cleveland Clinic explains water that contains this amoeba goes up your nose, it can travel to your brain. Once there, it causes a very serious and almost always deadly infection called Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis (PAM). While this infection is rare, it's not worth the risk.

If the amoeba gets into the brain through the nose, it can cause a severe infection called Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis (PAM). Early signs of PAM can be a headache, fever, feeling sick to your stomach (nausea), and throwing up (vomiting). This infection moves incredibly fast. Most people who get PAM unfortunately die within just 1 to 18 days after they start showing symptoms, often falling into a coma before death. Other symptoms can include a stiff neck, feeling confused, not paying attention to people around you, losing your balance, and seeing things that aren't real (hallucinations).

When to Seek Medical Help

Health experts like the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) agree with this advice. They also warn about another amoeba called Acanthamoeba. If you or someone you know starts to have a headache, fever, confusion, or vomiting soon after rinsing your sinuses or nasal passages, it's crucial to get medical help right away.

A new study has revealed a sharp rise in cases of a rare cancer—appendiceal adenocarcinoma—particularly among younger generations. Generation X and millennials are seeing significantly higher rates of this cancer than previous generations, prompting concern among experts.

What Is Appendiceal Adenocarcinoma?

Appendiceal adenocarcinoma (AA) is a rare form of cancer that originates in the appendix, a small pouch attached to the large intestine. While appendix cancers are not commonly diagnosed—about 3,000 new cases per year in the U.S.—they appear to be rising at an alarming rate among younger adults.

Generational Surge in Cases

According to a new paper published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, the rate of AA has tripled among Generation X and quadrupled among millennials compared to those born in the mid-20th century. Researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center used data from the U.S. National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) program, which tracked cancer cases from 1975 to 2019.

The numbers are telling: the study found that for people born in 1985, the incidence of appendix cancer is four times higher than for those born in 1945. For individuals born in 1980, it is about three times higher.

A Broader Gastrointestinal Trend

Experts say this rise mirrors trends in other gastrointestinal cancers—such as colorectal and stomach cancer—which are also being diagnosed more frequently in adults under 50. Between 1975 and 2019, the researchers recorded 4,858 cases of appendix cancer, with a noticeable uptick in recent decades.

Possible Causes: Lifestyle and Diet

Although the exact reasons for this generational increase remain unclear, researchers suggest that lifestyle and environmental factors may be playing a major role. The consumption of ultra-processed foods, sugary beverages, and processed meats has increased sharply in recent decades. Additionally, obesity and metabolic syndrome—both risk factors for various cancers—are more prevalent among younger people today than in past generations.

Lead researcher Dr. Andreana Holowatyji highlighted that the increase in cases is not due to more appendectomies being performed. Surgical removal rates of the appendix have remained largely stable over time, suggesting that other factors, possibly related to diet, lifestyle, and environmental exposure, are contributing to the spike in cases.

The Challenge of Early Detection

One of the major hurdles in combating appendiceal adenocarcinoma is the lack of clear early symptoms. Many of the signs—such as bloating, appetite loss, and changes in bowel habits—are vague and can easily be mistaken for more common digestive issues. This often leads to delayed diagnoses and limited treatment options.

Urgent Need for Research

With no definitive causes identified, scientists are calling for more research into environmental exposures, genetic factors, and molecular changes that might contribute to the development of appendix cancer. Understanding these elements could help in early detection and potentially lower the rising risk among younger populations.

As per the World Health Organization (WHO), globally, over 1.2 billion people ages 30 to 79 have hypertension. The number has increased from 650 million in 1990 to 1.2 billion in 2021. This increase is attributed to many factors, including lifestyle factors, which include salty indulgence, stress, and screen time which has been increased. These three impact your blood pressure levels, know how.

What Are The Three S Worsening Your Blood Pressure?

Salt

As per the Harvard Heart Publishing, an average American consumes the equivalent of about 1 1/2 teaspoon of salt per day, which is 50% more than the recommended amount.

About a third of healthy people and about 60% of people with high blood pressure are salt sensitive.

How does salt affects blood pressure?

When you consume too much sodium, your body holds on to extra water to balance the sodium levels. This added fluid increases the volume of blood in your vessels, which in turn raises your blood pressure and forces your heart to work harder. High sodium intake can also reduce the effectiveness of certain blood pressure medications. For example, diuretics help eliminate excess sodium and water, while vasodilators work by relaxing the blood vessels. However, a high-sodium diet makes your body retain fluid again, refilling those relaxed vessels and undoing the medication's effects.

Stress

As per the official publication of State Medical Society of Wisconsin, stress can cause hypertension through repeated blood pressure elevations as well as by stimulation of the nervous system to produce large amounts of vasoconstricting hormones that increase blood pressure. Factors affecting blood pressure through stress include white coat hypertension, job strain, race, social environment, and emotional distress.

As per National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, around 50 million American adults live with hypertension, defined as a systolic blood pressure over 139 mm Hg or diastolic pressure over 89 mm Hg. In about 95% of these cases, the condition is classified as "essential" hypertension, meaning there’s no single identifiable cause. However, experts agree that multiple factors—including stress—can contribute to rising blood pressure in these individuals.

Screentime

As per a 2024 study published in Cureus, hypertension is a major risk factor for coronary artery disease. The study links the increased accessibility of smartphones with the increasing hypertension.

This study explored the relationship between screen time and blood pressure (BP) among young adults.

The study also noted that higher screen time was more common among individuals using multiple devices. The prevalence of elevated BP in the sample was 35.8%, aligning with national data and raising concerns about the cardiovascular health of young adults.

Previous studies support these concerns. For instance, Nang et al. and Martinez-Gomez et al. linked prolonged TV viewing to higher BP and an adverse cardiovascular risk profile in adolescents. However, these relied on self-reported data. Other risk factors, such as age, gender, obesity, inactivity, and substance use, have also been linked to hypertension.