SERIOUS
SERIOUS CONDITION. WE TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT BEING
ALLERGIC TO COLD.
>> Reporter: WHEN YOU THINK OF
ALLERGIES WHAT OFTEN COMES TO
MIND ARE THINGS LIKE MILK,
EGGS, SHELLFISH.
EGGS, SHELLFISH. MY DAUGHTER, AVA HAS A TREE NUT
ALLERGY.
ALLERGY.
ALLERGY. IT'S PRETTY COMMON. I WAS
SHOCKED WHEN I MET A LITTLE
GIRL NAME RILEY AND WHAT SHE IS
ALLERGIC TO.
ALLERGIC TO. THE COLD.
THE COLD.
THE COLD. >> I AM RIDING THIS LETTER, I
PUT A CAMISOLE FROM A T-SHIRT
AND A SWEATER.
>> Reporter: EIGHT -YEAR-OLD
RILEY IS ALLERGIC TO COLD YES,
THAT IS A THING.
>> SOMETIMES VERY MILE AND
DOESN'T IT SHOULD ALL.
BUT LIKE LAST YEAR IT WAS
REALLY BAD BECAUSE WE DIDN'T
KNOW WHAT TO DO. EVERY TIME I
STARTED SCRATCHING.
STARTED SCRATCHING. >> Reporter: THIS IS RILEY ON A
BAD DAY AFTER RECESS.
NOTICE THE SPLOTCHY RED ON HER
CHEEKS AND HIVES. A GUST OF
WIND CAN TRIGGER THIS REACTION.
BUT NOT JUST A WINTER ISSUE.
EARLY'S FIRST OUTBREAK STARTED
ON A WARM, SUMMER DAY A YEAR
AND A HALF AGO.
>> SUMMER CAMP HAD TAKEN THEM TO
A WATERPARK A BEAUTIFUL 75
DEGREES DAY, A LIGHT BREEZE AND
THE WATER FROM THE SPRAYS
WASN'T HEATED AND THEY CALLED
ME.
ME.
ME. SHE
ME. SHE HAD BROKEN OUT IN HIVES.
JUST FROM COLD WATER ON A HOT
SUMMER DAY.
SUMMER DAY. >> Reporter: IT SOUNDS CRAZY
AND THAT IS PART OF THE
PROBLEM.
PROBLEM.
PROBLEM. WHO WOULD BELIEVE A KID THAT
SAYS THEY ARE ALLERGIC TO COLD?
>> MY ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL AND
ANOTHER TEACHER, I WAS LIKE,
CAN YOU HELP ME ZIPPED THIS UP
BECAUSE I GET HIVES AND THEY
ARE LIKE THAT ISN'T, THAT
REALLY ISN'T ANYTHING.
THAT IS NOT A THING.
>> Reporter: WHAT DID YOU SAY?
>> I SAID YES IT IS AND THEY
ARE LIKE NO IT IS IN.
YES IT IS, NO IT IS IN.
>> Reporter: LESS THAN 1% OF
PEOPLE IN THE U.S. HAVE THIS
RARE CONDITION, HIVES INDUCED
BY CONTACT WITH THE COLD.
RILEY CONTROLS BREAKOUTS BY
PLANNING HAD, TAKING THREE
ANTIHISTAMINES EVERY DAY AND
WEARING THREE LAYERS OF
CLOTHING EVERY DAY.
ALLERGISTS TOLD RILEY SHE COULD
OUTGROW HER CONDITION BY THE
TIME SHE IS 12.
SPIN WE ACTUALLY DON'T KNOW A
LOT ABOUT IT IT.
THE VAST MAJORITY OF CASES WE
DON'T FIND A SPECIFIC CAUSE AND
WE MAY THINK IT MAY HAVE
STARTED WITH A VIRAL INFECTION.
>> HE HAS TREATED OTHER
PATIENTS DURING HIS 13 YEARS AS
AN A LA JUSTIN GRAY COMES ABOUT
SPONTANEOUSLY AND GOES AWAY
AFTER A FEW YEARS.
DR. KIM USES A LOW-TECH
TECHNIQUE HE CALLS THE ICE CUBE
CHALLENGE TO DIAGNOSE THE
CONDITION.
CONDITION. SMOKY TAKE AN ICE CUBE, PUT IT
ON THE FOREARM WHERE IT IS VERY
SENSITIVE AND AFTER A FEW
MINUTES, TAKE THE ICE CUBE OFF
AND AS THE SKIN WARMS UP THERE
IS A HISTAMINE RESPONSE, WHAT
WE TYPICALLY SEE IS WHERE THE
ICE CUBE WAS PLACED THEY GET
HIVES.
HIVES.
HIVES. RILEY'S ALLERGY IS PRETTY
MODERATE, UNLIKE OTHERS WITH
THE CONDITION, SHE CAN ENJOY
ICE CREAM AND DRINK ICE WATER.
BUT MUST TAKE PRECAUTIONS WHEN
PLAYING THE ONE SPORT SHE
LOVES.
LOVES.
LOVES. >>
LOVES. >> IT TAKES FIVE OR 10 MINUTES
TO EASE INTO THE WATER.
DON'T JUST JUMP IN CANNONBALL
STYLE. ALLOW YOUR BODY TO
ACCLIMATE.
ACCLIMATE. >> Reporter: OF HIVES WERE THE
WORST OF IT, THAT WOULD BE BAD
ENOUGH.
ENOUGH.
ENOUGH. BUT EVERY TIME RILEY GOES INTO
A POOL SHE RISKS GOING INTO
ANAPHYLACTIC SHOCK SPIN WE HAVE
THE EPIPEN AND WE GO TO THE
POOL BUT WE HAVE NEVER HAD TO
USE IT.
USE IT.
USE IT. >> Reporter: WHICH YOU HOPE
PEOPLE WILL TAKE AWAY FROM
SHARING YOUR STORY?
>> I HOPE THAT PEOPLE WHO
BELIEVE IT IS NOT A THING ARE
LIKE OH YES IT REALLY IS A
THING.
THING.
THING. >>
THING. >> YOU CAN CHOOSE TO LET IT
DEFINE YOU.
DEFINE YOU. YOU CAN CHOOSE TO NEVER GO
OUTSIDE AGAIN OR YOU CAN
REALIZE YOU ARE STRONG AND YOU
ARE GOING TO WORK THROUGH IT.
WE ARE INCREDIBLY PROUD OF WHO
SHE IS.
SHE IS.
SHE IS. >> IN RESEARCHING RILEY SQ
STORY WE DISCOVERED ALL KINDS
OF RARE BUT REAL ALLERGIES.
IMAGINE BREAKING OUT IN HIVES
FROM UV RAYS.
THAT IS SOLAR YOU TO CARRY YOU
AND EVERY JOKE YOU ARE ALLERGIC
TO EXERCISING?
TO EXERCISING? THAT IS A THING THE THING, TOO.
WE HAVE MORE ON LITTLE-KNOWN
ALLERGIES ON OUR MOBILE APP AND
WEBSITE.
WEBSITE.
WEBSITE. >> SO INTERESTING.
MOST PEOPLE HAVE NO IDEA WHAT
IT IS LIKE TO BE ALLERGIC.
WE MAY JOKE AND IT IS REAL
THING.
THING.
THING. >>
THING. >> IT WASN'T JUST EXTREME COLD,
JUST A LITTLE COLD.
>>