Nancy Waweru, a mother of two from Githunguri, endures relentless torment with each passing day. Diagnosed with cold urticaria, she experiences allergic reactions whenever her skin is exposed to cold temperatures.
“With each sunset and sunrise, I endure the relentless torment of incessant body itchiness, leaving me in constant discomfort,” says Waweru. For decades, she believed the itching would eventually subside, but her condition only worsened over time.
“The condition has really disturbed me for decades now. Before I went for checkups, I thought it was just a mere itching that would go away after some time, but that was not the case,” she recounts. The situation escalated when she began experiencing severe headaches, fatigue, and persistent pain that kept her awake through the night.
Dr. Mahindra Pancholi, a consultant dermatologist and venereologist in Nairobi, explains that cold urticaria symptoms can vary from patient to patient. “Cold urticaria symptoms vary, but the common ones experienced by most patients include a burning sensation on the body, swelling, red hives, itchiness, raised welts at the site of exposure, fever, and joint pains,” he says.
Nancy Waweru’s story highlights the debilitating effects of cold urticaria and the urgent need for awareness and effective management of this condition.
