Stepping out of a hot shower into a chilly bathroom almost killed a Colorado man, who had developed a heavy aversion to cold temperatures.
The 34-year-old old man collapsed after getting out of the shower, and his family found him on the ground, consistent with a report of the case published on October 27 within the Journal of medicine.
The man was struggling to breathe and his skin was covered in hives. He was experiencing a life-threatening, whole-body hypersensitive reaction called anaphylaxis.
When paramedics arrived, his family told them that the person had a history of being "allergic to the cold weather", per the report. He had previously experienced hives as a reaction to the cold, but not anaphylaxis.
These episodes started after he moved from Micronesia, which features a tropical climate, to Colorado, which sees colder temperatures, the report said.
Paramedics treated the person with epinephrine and oxygen and rushed him to the ER. When he ought to the hospital, he was sweating profusely and had hives everywhere on his body.
Doctors diagnosed him with cold urticaria, the sensitivity of the skin after exposure to cold temperatures, including cold air or cold water, per the Mayo Clinic. People may also develop symptoms after consuming cold food or drinks, Live Science previously reported.
The most common symptom could be a red, itchy rash (hives) after exposure to the cold; but in additional serious cases, people can develop anaphylaxis, which might cause their pressure level to plummet and airways to narrow, making breathing difficult.
These more severe reactions typically occur with full-body skin exposure to the cold, like when people swim in cold water, the Mayo Clinic says. within the man's case, his entire body was exposed to cold air after stepping out of his shower.
Doctors confirmed the man's diagnosis using an 'ice cube test', which involves placing a cube on the skin for about 5 minutes. If the patient develops a raised, red bump on the skin where the square block was, they're diagnosed with cold urticaria.
Exactly how common the condition is overall isn't known - one study in Europe found a prevalence of 0.05 percent, in step with the National Institutes of Health. Anaphylactic reactions are less common than hive-like reactions.
In most cases, the reason for the condition isn't known, but sometimes it will be inherited, meaning people have a genetic predisposition. In people, cold urticaria is triggered by something that affects the system, like an infection or certain cancers.
The aversion happens because exposure to the cold causes the system to release chemicals called histamines, which trigger an inflammatory response, Live Science previously reported.
At the hospital, the person was treated with antihistamine and steroids, and his condition improved. Before he left the hospital, he was counseled to avoid exposure to cold water or other situations during which his whole body would be exposed to the cold.
He has also prescribed an epinephrine auto-injector, which may treat anaphylaxis in emergency situations.
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