Allergic to the Cold?

I know that my siblings would envy the fact that I would get to skip out on boring tasks like shoveling the snow or standing by an open door in the middle of a Michigan winter storm calling for our very energetic dog to come back inside. I would too if I were them, but staying indoors under piles of blankets isn't all that it's cracked up to be in my world. Getting to skip out on yard work is just one of the very few perks I have with being allergic to the cold, because I also have to skip out when my family is throwing water balloons in the middle of August because it's a slightly cooler day!

One summer, all of my siblings went down south while I stayed in Michigan. My parents bought a pool just for me and I even got my own floatie! Being the oldest sibling of many means that if I got something, I would either have to share or I would be surrounded by three little kids with big puppy dog eyes, so this was a great time for me! But that was very short lived. I would break out in hives every time I went for a swim, so my parents got rid of my floatie and my pool, thinking I could possibly have a latex intolerance. The hives stopped popping up...until the temperature got cooler. That is when we knew it was because of the cold. As I got older, it seemed to progressively get worse. My hives began to itch. My itchy hives began to spread. My itchy hives that would spread all along my body began to burn. My itchy hives that would spread all along burning my body were now accompanied with numb, white fingers. In late 2017, I was professionally diagnosed with Raynaud's disease. My doctor told me that there is no cure and that the best thing that I could do for myself was invest in good winter clothing and stay inside as much as I could.

When I talk about my condition, I usually get one of two reactions: people who are genuinely concerned and want to know more about this condition, or people who assume it means that I get cold just like everyone else and I just don't like the feeling. It is true I don't like the feeling of being too cold or too hot, but that is not what Raynaud's disease is. Raynaud's disease is a condition where cold temperatures mess with your body on the inside and out. The white, numb fingers that I get happen because my blood vessels are contracting. If I take no actions to get warm, I do run the risk of cutting off the circulation in my fingers, which can result in an amputation. I mentioned earlier that there is no cure for Raynaud's disease, so getting and staying warm is very crucial. This condition is actually not uncommon and it is far more likely for a female to get it than a male. In most cases, it is hereditary; However, I seem to be the only one in my family suffering from Raynaud's disease.

If you think that you could have Raynaud's disease, then you should get to a doctor in order to have it confirmed. A doctor will be able to give you more information and advice on what you should do to help cope with this.

On the flip side, if you want to catch me on a cold winter day, just know I'll be anywhere but outside. Thank you for reading my article!