Naked Science Forum

General Science => General Science => Topic started by: lilurchin on 18/03/2019 09:56:30

Title: Is the H20 molecule an allergen?
Post by: lilurchin on 18/03/2019 09:56:30
 just read an article where this woman says she is allergic to H20 in her bloodstream and literally everywhere inside her body and that a sip of water sent her into anaphylactic shock (she says IV saline does too because of the H20 component). She also says this immunologist diagnosed her as being allergic to the H20 molecule.

She is 32 years old, appeared on Montrel, and a series of other shows since she was little. She gets into the news a lot, including this time when it was her 21st birthday.

But is this feasible? She literally claims that immunologists have said she is allergic to the H2O molecule by itself, not to any contaminants in water. I have seen photos of her and she looks completely healthy. She says she drinks milk mixed with orange juice and she explains this is OK for her because it's water mixed with other stuff.

I am aware of a condition called Aquagenic Urticaria, which is not an allergy and it only affects the skin, but anaphylaxis from water being present anywhere inside of the body, and having actual antibodies against the H2O molecule is another beast entirely.


Now, lots of scientists say small molecules like water cannot be allergens since they're too small but now I'm not sure what to believe. The scientists, or this girl who gets into the news like every month.
Title: Re: Is the H20 molecule an allergen?
Post by: chiralSPO on 18/03/2019 13:30:29
No. It's not possible to be allergic to water.  Please stop asking the same question.
Title: Re: Is the H20 molecule an allergen?
Post by: lilurchin on 18/03/2019 13:37:42
No. It's not possible to be allergic to water.  Please stop asking the same question.

So why do I keep seeing the same articles. Are you saying Aquagenic Urticaria (being allergic to water everywhere in your body including bloodstream) is not real?
Title: Re: Is the H20 molecule an allergen?
Post by: chiralSPO on 18/03/2019 16:50:01
I'm saying water is not an allergen and aquagenic urticaria is not an allergy.

It's an odd condition, and I don't know what causes it, but I can be certain that it's not water. (The proof is that she doesn't have the reaction to her own blood, which is >95% water, or apparently to the mix of orange juice with milk--both of which are >95% water.)
Title: Re: Is the H20 molecule an allergen?
Post by: syhprum on 18/03/2019 19:36:09
Perhaps its because the water is not homeopathic !!!!!
Title: Re: Is the H20 molecule an allergen?
Post by: Kryptid on 18/03/2019 19:54:10
Why make a new topic when you already have more than one thread about water allergies? Were you expecting our answers to have changed since the last time you posited this question? The laws of chemistry and biology are still the same now as they were then.