Allergic to cold weather: Here are the signs

Thursday, January 12, 2017, 7:12 PM - With temperatures feeling like minus 45 in parts of Canada it's hard to put on a brave face when heading outside, but imagine being allergic to the cold.

Saskatchewan resident Marlyne Wight has been living with cold urticaria for 30 years. It is a chronic, reactive skin disorder also known as cold hives. When exposed to bitter temperatures, Wight often swells up and breaks out in itchy bumps.

Abnormal reddening of the skin can occur, as well as fever, headache, anxiety, tiredness and sometimes, even fainting. Symptoms can appear as soon as 30 minutes after exposure. 

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Most people do not believe Wight when she tells them about her condition.

"They go, 'Yeah, so am I,'" she told CBC. "But I really am allergic to the cold. I break out in hives."

It's not just going outside that causes symptoms to appear.

"I was noticing even with a Popsicle, my lips would swell," Wight told the news agency. "Or scraping carrots under water, my fingers would swell."

Commonplace activities such as walking in cold weather, swimming or even bathing in cool water may trigger an episode.

Image: Saskatoon resident Marlyne Wight -- CBC

With Saskatchewan known for bone-chilling temperatures, people often wonder why Wight lives there.

"Everybody asks that," she told CBC. "I've learned to live with it. And it's family: That's what keeps me there."

Antihistamines can be used to treat cold urticaria. However, the best thing to do is to limit exposure. If Wight has to go outside, she bundles up by wearing long coats and high boots, CBC reports.

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"Instead of feeling sorry for yourself, learn what you need to do to prevent it," she told the news agency. "You just move on. There are worse things in life."

SOURCE: CBC

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