Is It Possible To Be Allergic To The Cold?

Plenty of people will say they’re allergic to the cold, but what they mean is that they don’t like it – and who can blame them?

Can you really be allergic to the cold, though?

The answer is yes. The condition is called cold urticaria, and causes hives, redness, and swelling on the skin after it’s been cooled by swimming in cold water, a drop in temperature, or even eating or drinking something frozen.

Though a majority of reactions are non-life threatening, but some cases do escalate to anaphylaxis, heart palpitations, a drop in blood pressure, breathing problems, fainting, shock, and a swelling of the tongue and throat.

There are two types of cold urticaria – acquired (essential) or hereditary (familial).

With acquired cold urticaria, you’ll see a reaction within 5-10 minutes of the exposure, and it lasts 1-2 hours.

If you’ve got hereditary urticaria, your symptoms could take 24-48 hours to appear and could last an equal amount of time.

Cold urticaria is caused when mast cells activate and release histamine, though scientists are still unsure why the cold makes mast cells behave that way.

If you have this allergy, you’ll want to do your best to avoid the cold elements, though you’ll also want to be sure to have antihistamines on hand as well – and an epipen if your reactions are more serious.

If you think you might have it, a doctor will discuss your symptoms and health history, then might perform an “ice cube challenge” in which they place an ice cube on your skin for several minutes.

Anesthesiologists in particular will need to be aware of your condition so they can make sure your body temperature stays high enough during a surgery or other procedure.

This definitely sounds worse than just being uncomfortable in the cold!