If its cold, it's bad!!

[catchinit]

I have,like most people, gone through many years of playing in the snow, swimming in the freezing cold sea, and other general things including cold conditions. This winter i have suddenly developed an allergy to COLD!! If i put my hand or arm under the cold tap i come out in red blotches which really itch and turn into big lumps!! Same happens if i expose my skin to outdoors cold weather! Whats going on???

[Lonnie]

Google 'Allergic to cold weather', I just did, and the first post came up with your symptoms,

[mimififi]

my son has this type of 'hives' rash and has done since he was about 3, he is now 8. If it is the same as his it is called Urticaria and is consistent with allergy.

In my son's case, it wasn't just cold, it was heat too. In fact any sudden/extreme temperature used to bring it out. The doc said it probably is that it is always there, but as temperature changes your skin (cold of course makes your blood hang around your major organs, leaving extremities paler) it becomes more visible. We never ever found out what he is allergic too. he has had copious diets/exclusions/inclusions and blood/rast/skin tests, but nothing. All we know is that his Ige levels are through the roof. He also now has asthma. It appears he is a bit sensitvie to loads of stuff, dairy, dust, chemicals, eg polish, air freshner etc, and of course pollen etc, and when they come all at once then his reactions get worse. Allergy is very much an accumulative thing. You can eat eggs on their own if you are intolerent to them and be fine, but if you are also intolerent to milk, bread and fish and you had all those things in the same meal, you might have ar eally severe reaction....etc It's a broad area!

see you GP and maybe look into allergy testing?
good luck