VietNamNet Bridge – At the age of 33, Nguyen Phu Son in Hoang Mai district, Hanoi--has to confine himself in his bedroom both day and night because of his diabolic disease: being allergic to dirt and clothes.

Facing Son for a while, the author of this article also got a tingling feeling because of seeing Son scratching his body all the time. His body was covered by a layer of something which looked like white powder.

Suffering from asthma, Son’s family had to move to Saigon in the early 1990, hoping that the warm weather there could help the boy. When Son was a ninth grade student, the boy began feeling itchy. Rash appeared on his wrists and no medicine could make them gone. Going to hospital, doctors said that the boy might be allergic to his watch. Since Son took the watch off, the rash disappeared.

In 2000, allergy recurred but in another form. Whenever Son wore clothes made of nylon fiber, he would immediately itch. If he changed nylon clothes with cotton clothes, he would not itch any more.

During this time, Son’s asthma did not improve. He had to take many kinds of medicines but the disease did not ease up. Son’s family removed to Hanoi again to find good doctors for him. At that time, Son was the last-year student at the HCM City Economics University.

“In 2006, I was hospitalized to the Central Eye – Nose – Throat Hospital. I was treated there for three years. That was my best time because my asthma improved well. I was very healthy and I could enjoy myself very much,” Son recalled.

However, Son’s happiness did not last long because itchy feeling reappeared, even when he was at home. The man has had to stay in his room all day and night. Even when his family members cleaned up outside the room, Son still felt itchy.

The young man’s life now takes place in his house. He gets information about the outside world through TV and his PC. He searched on the net information about his strange disease and ordered medicines abroad. In early 2011, allergy medicines against dirt were discovered. Son thought that he would escape from itch. However, the medicine only worked on him for several months. A new symptom appeared, which is more terrible: being allergic to clothes.

After being allergic to nylon fiber, Son only wore clothes made of cotton. But since June 2011, Son was scare to recognize that even cotton clothes made him itchy. The man can currently wear only one greasy pants and two dirty T-shirts, which made him feel better.

Son had to throw away mattress, pillow, bed, etc. from his room to avoid from itch. There are only a bed-plank, a ragged sedge mat and a thin blanket in the room now.

The man’s parents said that in recent days, when the temperature fell to less than 10 degree Celsius, Son had to huddle himself in the room because he would be very itchy if he covered himself with a blanket or warm clothes or when the air conditioner worked.

“I was very cold but I could not use thick blanket. Only this thin blanket that my grandmother used for 40 years does not make me itch. Normally, I survive by two old leather jackets of one of my relatives,” Son said.

Son’s parents bought specialized cloths for allergic patients from developed countries but they could not help. The family is very worried that Son cannot sustain in the winter.

“My family has consulted many doctors in many provinces and cities but the disease has been getting worse. We only wish to see the right doctor. I’m broken hearted seeing my son struggling with itches every night,” Son’s mother said.

The young man is also allergic to many kinds of food, including seafood, chicken, beef, and medicines, plastic, polyester and many other things.

In the last 1-2 years, Son has been allergic to chewing gum, sunlight, and even when he sits near to TVs or electric fans.

“I wish to commit diseases that are painful more than this itchy disease. Several years ago, my parents urged me to marry someone to have a companion, hoping that my odd disease could disappear then. But I did not dare to see any girl since I have to scratch all the time. Doctors and even my parents are discouraged with my disease,” the man said.

Hearing about any doctor and any new treatment methodology, Son and his family tried to access but they did not work at all. He has been treated by leading doctors in Vietnam and used various methodologies like acupuncture, therapy of point injection, martial art, yoga, energy healing, etc.

Previously, his allergic symptoms quickly disappeared after being injected with anti-sensitive medicine but the medicine now takes effect very slowly. Son is afraid that the medicine will be ineffective in the near future. At present, some rashes on the man’s limbs have no reaction to any kind of medicine. His body is covered by a layer of white powder.

Nguyen Van Doan, director of the Hanoi-based Bach Mai Hospital’s Allergy and Clinical Immunity Centre, said that perhaps Son has taken many kinds of medicines, which leads to cross-sensitive symptom.

“I’ve recently read about Doctor Nguyen Manh Quan who cures allergy by hypnotism. I wish to learn his methodology or be cured directly by him,” Son said.

VNE