By midsummer, everyone in Greece is looking to escape, preferably somewhere cool: mainly by the sea, sometimes even in the mainland’s mountainous landscapes. The urge is strongest for anyone living in Athens, Thessaloniki, or one of the country’s other big cities, where the concrete jungle and the heat make life unliveable.

What tends to get lost in the rush is the small print. Few people pause, on the way out the door, to think about what might actually go wrong, either because they have never learned of the risks or because those risks sit far down on the long list of worries and priorities. Yet the unexpected sometimes stings, and can upend long-made summer plans in an instant

So, to avoid those moments of panic, it’s good to be prepared, as the Scouts say. That means being ready for the bites, the stings, the potential allergic reactions. We talked to allergy specialist Kassiani Tzeli and pharmacist Irini Migadi about what to pack before the boat whisks you off to your destination.

The cold-water reaction

One of the more underestimated hazards of the sea is cold urticaria (hives), an allergy triggered by a sudden drop in body temperature on entering cold water. Albeit being fairly uncommon, Tzeli says, a diagnosis might take longer than it should. In some cases patients underestimate the severity of the issue and assume they picked up some kind of infection and ignore what their body is telling them.

That is a mistake. The temperature difference alone, she says, is enough to set off a severe allergic reaction, up to and including anaphylaxis, which can only be treated with epinephrine. In genuine anaphylaxis, Tzeli says, no ordinary medication and no cortisone shot will be enough.

The sun-triggered version

Sun exposure also carries risks. This time it’s called solar urticaria. If persistent, welt-like eruptions appear on the skin after time in the sun, Tzeli says, highlighting the fact that the condition can develop along the same lines as the cold-water form.

However, unlike its cold-water version, treatments exist, she says, that can put an end to the symptoms.

Source: TA NEA