\n
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.<\/p>\n
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.<\/p>\n
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.<\/p>\n
Your support makes all the difference.<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nRead more<\/span><\/svg><\/span><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nA mother from Rotherham has revealed her struggle with a rare allergy to cold temperatures, which causes her skin to erupt in painful, itchy hives that she describes as making her want to “rip it off”. <\/p>\n
Jill Pearson, 46, says she “hates” the winter months due to the debilitating condition.<\/p>\n
Ms Pearson, a married mother-of-two who has dedicated 13 years to palliative care nursing, first observed her skin turning red after cold exposure at the age of 13. <\/p>\n
She recalls arriving at school to classmates asking, “what\u2019s wrong with your face?” <\/p>\n
The transition from cold to hot environments now causes her skin to “burn”, with hives resembling “nettle stings” appearing even from simply touching a cold surface.<\/p>\n
Despite years of discomfort, a formal diagnosis remained elusive until 2019. <\/p>\n
\n
\n<\/p>\n
open image in gallery<\/span><\/button><\/p>\n<\/div>Jill Pearson was diagnosed with cold urticaria in August 2019<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\nIt was during a family trip to Disneyland in America, after swimming in “really cold” water with dolphins, that Ms Pearson experienced a severe reaction akin to anaphylaxis \u2013 a rapid, life-threatening allergic response.<\/p>\n
Following the incident, she was finally diagnosed with cold urticaria, an allergic reaction to cold, in August 2019. <\/p>\n
The diagnosis has necessitated daily adjustments, including brushing her teeth with lukewarm water and maintaining constant heating in her home to manage her symptoms.<\/p>\n
While Ms Pearson uses some medications to \u201cdampen down\u201d her reactions, she must now carry two EpiPens at all times as there is no cure for her condition and, while going abroad provides temporary respite, the winter season in the UK is something she has come to despise.<\/p>\n
\u201cI hate winter \u2013 I always wear a hat, a scarf, gloves, thermal vests and fleece-lined trousers,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf I get something out the fridge that\u2019s cold, my hand will swell up and itch.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just want to literally rip the skin off because it\u2019s itching so much.<\/p>\n
\u201cEven if I was leaning on a table to eat my dinner and the surface is cold, my arms then have a patch of redness, which is itchy and swollen.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n
\n<\/p>\n
open image in gallery<\/span><\/button><\/p>\n<\/div>Ms Pearson uffers with red, itchy and swollen skin after exposure to the cold<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\nAccording to the NHS, hives (also called urticaria) is a raised, itchy rash that is usually caused by a reaction to things like food, pollen or insect bites.<\/p>\n
Ms Pearson said she first remembers noticing the symptoms of cold urticaria at the age of 13.<\/p>\n
\u201cI remember going to school when it was cold and any skin that was showing, like my face, would go really red,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would get hives that look like nettle stings and going from the cold into heat would make my skin burn.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople at school would say, \u2018Ew, what\u2019s wrong with your face?\u2019<\/p>\n
\u201cI have to wait for my skin to settle down \u2013 which all depends on how long I\u2019ve been exposed to the cold, so it could take half an hour.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ms Pearson said she would think to herself, \u2018I\u2019m having a reaction\u2019, but said she never got checked or tested for her symptoms until later in life.<\/p>\n
\n
\n<\/p>\n
open image in gallery<\/span><\/button><\/p>\n<\/div>She underwent an ice cube test before receiving her diagnosis<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\u201cI just always wrapped up for the winter,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Throughout her youth, she said her reactions \u201caffected a lot of things\u201d, especially while she was at university and going out with friends.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople were going clubbing or going to the pub, and I was the one that was always wrapped up \u2013 or I\u2019d ask if we could get a taxi because I didn\u2019t want to walk in all red and swelling,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
After grappling with her symptoms for decades, Ms Pearson said they reached a new peak in August 2019, when she and her family took a trip to Disneyland in America, where they swam with dolphins.<\/p>\n
She recalled getting into the water, which was \u201creally cold\u201d, before she suffered with a reaction resembling anaphylaxis \u2013 a life-threatening allergic reaction that happens very quickly.<\/p>\n
\u201cI remember getting in the water which was only waist height, and I was saying to my husband, \u2018oh it\u2019s really cold\u2019,\u201d she recalled.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll I kept thinking was, \u2018I just need to do this, I just need to swim with the dolphin and then get out\u2019.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I got back into the water, I told my husband I felt really faint.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n
\n<\/p>\n
open image in gallery<\/span><\/button><\/p>\n<\/div>Ms Pearson now makes adaptations to her daily routine to avoid cold temperatures<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\nMs Pearson said her husband took her out of the water where she \u201cjust went straight to the floor\u201d on the sand.<\/p>\n
She said she suspected she was going into anaphylactic shock at the time \u2013 she could not lift her chin and she \u201cknew\u201d her blood pressure was \u201creally low\u201d.<\/p>\n
She also said another family member pointed out that her lips were blue.<\/p>\n
After being wrapped in towels to get warm, she recalled feeling \u201creally exhausted\u201d when she came to.<\/p>\n
The ordeal prompted her to visit her GP, where she was referred to an immunologist and allergy specialist at Sheffield Hospital.<\/p>\n
She said to diagnose cold urticaria, an ice cube test is performed \u2013 where she said ice cubes were inserted into a fabric casing and placed on the inside of her forearm for five minutes to gauge the reaction.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was really cold and I could feel it itching and burning,\u201d Jill recalled.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wanted them to see how bad my rection gets \u2013 it looked like I had skin graft on my forearm, it came up with a massive welt.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey actually went to get a consultant to show them because it was so bad.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n
\n<\/p>\n
open image in gallery<\/span><\/button><\/p>\n<\/div>Her skin breaks out in hives resembling nettle stings<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\nMs Pearson said she was given an antihistamine \u2013 medicines often used to relieve symptoms of allergies \u2013 before she underwent several blood tests to try and establish the root cause of her reaction.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey all came back fine, so they couldn\u2019t really find a reason as to why I was having this reaction,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
She was officially diagnosed with cold urticaria in August 2019.<\/p>\n
She has since tried several antihistamines with the aim of preventing her reactions to the cold, but said \u201cnothing works\u201d.<\/p>\n
She has now been advised to not go swimming, she carries two EpiPens at all times and she takes some medications to try and \u201cdampen down\u201d her symptoms.<\/p>\n
She has also made a number of adaptations in her daily routine to avoid cold temperatures.<\/p>\n
\u201cEven down to things like brushing my teeth, I don\u2019t use really cold water,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen it\u2019s really cold and I go out, usually it\u2019s just my eyes that are showing.<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter I shower, I have to dry straight away \u2013 if I don\u2019t dry fully, even the change in temperature makes my skin red, almost like I\u2019ve been burnt.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n
\n<\/p>\n
open image in gallery<\/span><\/button><\/p>\n<\/div>She said her skin \u2018came up with a massive welt\u2019 during the ice cube test<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\nMs Pearson also avoids ice cream or ice lollies because the roof of her mouth \u201cswells\u201d and \u201citches\u201d, and she said she always keeps the heating on at home.<\/p>\n
She even avoids certain supermarkets due to their temperatures, saying the frozen aisle is \u201ca nightmare\u201d.<\/p>\n
Going abroad to a hotter climate provides Jill with a temporary respite from her reactions \u2013 although even air conditioning in restaurants or hotel rooms can be too much for her.<\/p>\n
Ms Pearson has joined a Facebook group to connect with others who suffer with cold urticaria, and she advised those in her position to do the same.<\/p>\n
\u201cReach out to other people that are going through it,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey are the ones who can give you advice and support, and not laugh at the way you have to adapt your life.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey really do understand, and they might be able to give you some suggestions on how to make things more liveable.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Your support helps us to tell the story From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging. At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story. The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it. Your support makes all the difference. Read more A mother from Rotherham has revealed her struggle with a rare allergy to cold temperatures, which causes her skin to erupt in painful, itchy hives that she describes as making her want to “rip it off”. Jill Pearson, 46, says she “hates” the winter months due to the debilitating condition. Ms Pearson, a married mother-of-two who has dedicated 13 years to palliative care nursing, first observed her skin turning red after cold exposure at the age of 13. She recalls arriving at school to classmates asking, “what\u2019s wrong with your face?” The transition from cold to hot environments now causes her skin to “burn”, with hives resembling “nettle stings” appearing even from simply touching a cold surface. Despite years of discomfort, a formal diagnosis remained elusive until 2019. open image in gallery Jill Pearson was diagnosed with cold urticaria in August 2019 It was during a family trip to Disneyland in America, after swimming in “really cold” water wi…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8744,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[2],"tags":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8743"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=8743"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8743\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/8744"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=8743"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=8743"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=8743"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}