A guest on ITV's This Morning has shared the distressing reality of living with an extremely rare allergic reaction to cold temperatures, which causes her body to break out in painful, burning hives.
A Mysterious Condition Begins
Kirsten, 41, appeared on the show with hosts Dermot O'Leary and Olivia Attwood to discuss her diagnosis of cold urticaria. Her symptoms first emerged in February during the school run. Initially, she believed the reaction was stress-related, as she was preparing to return to work after maternity leave.
After visiting her GP, she was referred to an allergist and received a formal diagnosis in July. According to the Mayo Clinic, urticaria is a skin reaction that causes itchy welts, but for Kirsten, the trigger is a drop in temperature.
Life with a 'Skin on Fire' Sensation
Describing her experience, Kirsten explained that the reaction occurs not only outdoors but in any cold environment. "Under air con, I'll get prickly hives. It is really painful, it feels like your body is on fire," she said. "That one picture that showed up then, that was head to toe. It does feel like your skin is on fire."
The condition has progressively worsened, starting on her face and neck but now capable of affecting her entire body if she doesn't manage it. To keep the symptoms at bay, Kirsten relies on a high dose of four antihistamines per day, though this is not a complete cure.
She recounted a recent episode in a cold cathedral: "By the end of the two hours, my stomach and tops of my legs, by the time that I got home, were in red hives." The necessity to constantly bundle up in fleece-lined clothing causes practical problems, leaving her overheating indoors.
Medical Insight and Management
Joined on the sofa by Dr Zoe Williams, the discussion turned to the medical specifics. Dr Williams explained that urticaria is the skin's reaction to the body releasing histamine, akin to the sting from a nettle.
"Some people like Kirsten have an urticarial reaction to physical things like hot, cold, stress," she noted, adding that the condition is quite rare, affecting an estimated five in 10,000 people, though likely underdiagnosed. It often appears in adulthood and can resolve by itself after five to ten years for about a third of sufferers.
Dr Williams confirmed that high-dose antihistamines are the primary treatment. For Kirsten, the future involves exploring potential underlying autoimmune diseases, which might be contributing to her symptoms. "We're hoping that once the underlying issue... is maybe starting to be resolved, this might reduce," she said.
The condition significantly impacts daily life, with simple activities like swimming with her children becoming a source of anxiety and visible discomfort. Kirsten's story follows another recent This Morning segment featuring a young woman allergic to water, highlighting the challenges of living with rare physical urticarias.
