See Why This 17-Year-Old Girl Dare Not Cry

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A 17-year-old Business student, Niah Selway, is highly allergic to water such that a drop of water on her skin causes her agony. Selway is one of only 35 people in the world with the fierce allergy known as ‘aquagenic urticaria’.

Selway who lives in Hastings, East Sussex, is in pain every day, yet she dare not cry as even her own tears make her skin erupt in excruciating hives reports Mirror. Niah recounts:

“Living with it is a nightmare. When water comes into contact with my skin it feels like it’s burning. I’m in a lot of pain and there’s nothing anyone can do.”

The distressing symptoms began when she was five but no one could work out the cause. She unknowingly would go swimming just like other little girls, would get caught in rain and splashed in puddles, never suspecting it was the water that triggered her painful rash. But as she got older Niah decided to investigate online. She said:

“I found a few stories. One was a girl in America who suffers from the same thing and I was like, ‘Wow, finally I’ve found a name for it’.”

Although a dermatologist confirmed her findings when she was diagnosed with aquagenic urticaria, there is no cure. Niah can drink water pain-free. She is also trying to alleviate the situation,

“I’m trying different strengths of antihistamine to see if they can help the level of my reaction but they won’t ever stop it.”
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When she showers, Niah has to time her soak just right to make it as pain-free as possible.

“I can be in there for five minutes before it starts happening. But if I were to get out straight away it would get worse so I have to stay in the shower until it stops. Even though water makes me have the reaction it’s the water that soothes it as well. I can never tell how long I’ll be in the shower because it depends on the level of my reaction. When I take off make-up with baby wipes and use toner and moisturizer it really stings. My face burns for up to half-an-hour but I have to do it.”

Her boyfriend Hussain hates to see Niah suffer. She said: “It’s really horrible for him because I just need to be left alone.” And the cruel allergy means that if it all gets too much, just one tear makes the pain even worse. Niah sighed: “It will start to sting and feel really sore and difficult to touch.”