An allergy is when your body abnormally responds to substances in the environment.
Your immune system has an exaggerated immune reaction to these substances which can cause
tou to sneeze, have difficulty breathing, itching or skin rashes.
I personally am allergic to cats, Christmas trees, rag weed, pollen and freshly cut grass.
It’s actually really annoying because I always need an allergy pill, even in the winter.
But I’m lucky that it can be managed.
So let’s take a look at the top 10 rarest allergies in the world.
Exercise makes it onto this list in at number 10.
I’ve heard some people say that they are allergic to the gym, but I never took them
seriously.
So, when I was doing research for this video, I was actually really shocked to find out
that people are literally allergic to exercising.
Its common knowledge that exercise is a really important part of maintaining a healthy life-style
but for some, it can actually be life threatening.
This allergy affects about 2% of the population.
So, basically whenever they do some sort of vigorous physical activity like jogging, dancing
or riding their bike – they will get extremely itchy, break out in hives or in extreme cases,
their throat will close up on them and they won’t be able to breathe.
Some research has said that this allergy is caused by a poor diet but there isn’t any
definitive proof and this allergy probably won’t ever go away once you have it.
An allergy to money hits us hard in at number 9.
Wow, this has to be one of the worst allergies out there.
Can you believe that some people can have an allergic reaction just by handling loose
change and bills?
I guess we are lucky that we live in a modern world where our money can be put on a piece
of plastic but this just sucks.
If you’ve ever noticed a rash on your hands then you might want to get an allergy test
done because you could have an allergy to nickel sulphate.
This means that you are sensitive to coins, jewellery, metal parts on clothes and even
some door handles.
So, I guess if you have an allergy to money, then you’re going to want to invest in some
gloves.
I bet Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates are glad that they don’t have an allergy to money.
They probably have a room in their mansion full of money that they roll in everyday.
Deodorant comes onto this list in at number 8.
It is called axillary dermatitis and it can cause rashes, blisters, wheals, itchiness
and burning of the skin.
Sounds like fun doesn’t it?
Obviously, there are a lot of people who are allergic to toiletries and cosmetic products
but a specific allergic reaction to deodorants or antiperspirants are extremely rare.
This is another example of an allergy that causes people to become very self-conscious
because they can’t use anything to prevent sweating.
If you have this type of allergy, it is likely that you are also allergic to other fragrances
or essential oils which makes this condition difficult to manage.
Diving into number 7 we have a water allergy.
This is a really surprising allergy considering the human body is made up of 60% water and
water is absolutely vital to life.
A water allergy or aquagenic urticaria is extremely rare.
It affects only one in every 23 million people and even a brief encounter with water can
have serious consequences.
Their own sweat or tears can cause them to break out in a painful and itchy rash that
takes hours to go away.
So, I guess people with this allergy probably shouldn’t watch any Nicholas Sparks movies.
But in all seriousness, people with this allergy can’t drink normal tap water.
They have to be extremely carful because the water can cause their throats to swell and
they can only handle a couple of minutes of bathing.
I couldn’t even image having this allergy but thankfully it is very rare.
Number 6 we have an allergy to sunlight.
No way, is this real life right now?
This condition is known as solar urticaria and people with this rare allergy break out
in hives after they are exposed to the sun.
This happens when the UV rays from the sun cause a chemical alteration in their skin
cells.
The rash appears one or two days after exposure to the sun and it is usually more common in
the spring and summer.
For most people with this condition, they can use sunscreen, take vitamin B3 and anti-histamines
to minimize their reactions but in more serious cases, some people can’t even go outside
because it is way too risky.
Cold weather takes us over to number 5.
I think I’m allergic to cold weather too.
My symptoms include, not wanting to leave the house and constantly wishing it was summer.
But in all seriousness, there are some people who are literally allergic to cold weather.
In 2012 a study discovered that people with cold urticaria develop hives after their skin
is exposed to colder temperatures.
I guess an Alaskan vacation home is out of the question for them.
So cold weather or even cold-water temperatures can cause their skin to turn red and develop
welts and itching.
They might also have a fever, headache, anxiety, tiredness and sometimes fainting.
I guess the doctor would prescribe living in a warm country with plenty of sunlight
and a hot tub in the backyard.
Human touch brings us to number 4.
People with dermatographia or skin writing disease have a hypersensitivity to pressure
and touch.
So basically, if you are even lightly touched, your skin will swell and bumps and itchy rashes
will appear as well.
But don’t worry, these marks usually go away within 30 minutes and you can take an
anti-histamine to prevent any swelling.
It is estimated that 2-5% of the entire population is affected with this disorder and the cause
for this is unknown.
So, let’s take a look at a clip and you’ll see what I mean when I say skin writing disease
Fish swims onto this list in at number 3.
Let me clear this up, I’m not talking about an allergy to fish, because that’s actually
pretty common.
I’m talking about people who are allergic to fish odour.
Yeah that’s right, they could literally be walking through a restaurant and have a
really bad allergic reaction just because fish odour is in the air.
That’s because when we cook fish, a small protein called amines is released during cooking
and if these people inhale this protein it can cause an allergic reaction in their airways
and lungs.
So, it sounds like a pretty funny allergy but it’s actually really serious.
It’s easy to avoid eating certain foods if you’re allergic to them but an accidental
exposure to the odour can happen anywhere at anytime.
And now in at number 2 we have vibrations.
This is another rare form of a physical urticaria that is caused by vibrations.
So, people who are allergic to vibrations can’t do simple everyday movements like
clapping, running or travelling because it can induce a very serious allergic reaction.
Most of these reactions last less than an hour but they can cause the person to be extremely
anxious and feeling self-conscious.
Imagine not being able to run, have your phone on vibrate or going on a bumpy car ride.
This allergy makes everyday life extremely difficult because you can break out into hives
at any moment just from a simple vibration.
Allergic to your own kid makes it on this list in at number 1.
I’m so going to butcher this scientific name but let’s try to say it together.
Pemphigoid gestationis but let’s just call it PG for short.
This is a rare condition which happens during the second or third trimester of pregnancy
and it can even extend to a few months after giving birth.
If the mother is unfortunate enough to get this allergy, she will start to develop very
painful blisters on her stomach and it might spread to other areas of her body.
The baby also has a chance of being born with a skin rash but these blisters will usually
disappear a few months after.
PG is caused by the woman’s immune system attacking her own skin but the exact reasons
why this occurs is not exactly known.
Well there you guys have it…