A "cold-allergic" woman wears a face mask in case a temperature drop kills her

A "cold-allergic" woman should wear an outside face mask in case a temperature drop triggers a fatal reaction.

Max Fisher, 23, says she's been diagnosed with cold-induced urticaria that can kill people with extreme cases.

Those who suffer from an allergic reaction will experience anaphylactic shock, much like they had to sting by a bee or eating peanuts.

And it's not just the winter temperatures that could trigger Max's stress.

By inhaling cold air or sipping a cool drink, she comes out red, itchy hives and her throat closes.

The graduate in pharmacology raises awareness of the disease before the expected cold wave.

Max, from Sherwood, Nottingham, said, "I'm allergic to cold, so I'm mostly allergic to winter.

"I was diagnosed with conditional urticaria in 2009.

"I wear a face mask on the outside to prevent a reaction.

"The symptoms are mostly hives, big swelling, burning and itching.

"If I breathe cold air, my breathing is sibilant. Therefore, when I put on the mask, it pbades through a slightly heated tissue.

"It mixes with the warm air that I just breathed, which avoids the cold.

"I was quite adventurous before I was diagnosed with this disease.

"I went all the time to auto shows with my dad.

"I would just do typical things for kids, like running and climbing trees.

"I'd love more people to experience hives.

"People wear masks for all kinds of reasons.

"When I wear the mask, people look at me and I am sometimes abused in the street.

"Sometimes I do not want to take care of it just to go to the stores and pick up a bag of chips.

"I live with chronic pain and sometimes use a cane or wheelchair.

"Trying to find work is such a struggle.

"It's so frustrating – I worked very hard – I have a master's degree in pharmacology.

"I did all this work and I got to work, and the employers are just" wheelchairs ".

"At first, I was very nervous, I could walk a little to get out of the wheelchair.

"So, I do not have to walk in a box.

"People with disabilities exist and some of us wear masks, some use wheelchairs, some canes.

"I really hope people with disabilities are accepted."

Cold-induced urticaria is an autoimmune disease that leads to hives that burn and itch, and can spread throughout the body, of different sizes.

But it's not as easy as moving to a warm country, because in summer, the ice in your drink makes your fingers swell, open a fridge or freezer, jump into a pool or a breeze can cool it down and cause a reaction.

Max first had an escape at the age of 14, when she developed breathing difficulties after sitting on wet grbad in the summer.

But her symptoms have been confused with pollen allergy for weeks and she still claims today that some health professionals do not understand her condition.

She said, "It was a summer day and I sat on the wet grbad and suddenly began to wheeze and struggle to breathe.

"I had a red rash that itched on my arms and I had no idea what was going on.

"Initially, the doctors thought it was allergy to pollen, but other tests revealed that it was hives." .

"Apparently, the wet grbad on my skin has so cooled down that it has triggered the reaction.

"It's scary when it happens because I do not know if my throat will close completely, but now I take antihistamines every day, in case I get another reaction.

"Summer is as bad as winter and I have been in hives after entering an air-conditioned room.

"As long as I'm at a constant average temperature without a sudden drop in temperature, that's fine, but it's a daily battle."