Torileigh New dismissed her symptoms, suspecting a reaction to washing powder
Torileigh New, 27, from Huyton, started ‘clawing her skin off’ after rashes started appearing on her body in April 2018(Image: Torileigh New)
A woman, whose colleagues noticed something alarming while she was working a hospital shift, finally has answers as to what her mystery illness is. Torileigh New, 27, from Huyton, started experiencing painful rashes on her body in April 2018, which caused her to scratch her skin excessively due to the unbearable itching.
The hives, combined with constant irritation, caused bruising across her skin. At first, Torileigh dismissed the symptoms, suspecting a reaction to everyday products like washing powders. She said that she was “swapping and changing things, but nothing ever seemed to trigger it”.
But it was during a shift at Whiston Hospital, where she works as a healthcare assistant in mental health services, that the severity of her condition became impossible to ignore. Her colleagues pointed out that she ‘looked like she’d been strangled’ after vivid red rashes appeared around her neck.
Torileigh New started ‘clawing her skin off’ after rashes started appearing on her body in April 2018(Image: Torileigh New)
Torileigh described the pain as similar to nettle stings mixed with a ‘very intense burn’, a sensation that never seemed to ease. She said: “I couldn’t put clothes on. I felt suicidal; no one was listening to me for years.”
When she first sought medical help, she said she was told her symptoms were “hormonal”. From 2020, Torileigh was prescribed steroid creams and emollients for three years, alongside repeated blood tests.
She was also placed on the highest dose of antihistamines, taking up to four a day in an effort to control the condition – but nothing brought lasting relief.
Her worst and longest flare-up began last October, pushing her to breaking point. She said: “I can’t cope with it; I can’t get away from it, and nothing soothes it.”
By December, the pain had become so severe she was forced to take time off her studies at Liverpool John Moores University. She said: “That’s the cycle I’ve been stuck in for years.”
Bruising on Torileigh’s body(Image: Torileigh New)
Torileigh added: “It got to a point last year; I went to an out-of-hours appointment because I was clawing my skin off and bruising because I was itching that hard.
“They didn’t know what was wrong with me.”
Following that appointment, Torileigh was referred to a dermatologist and, after seven years of suffering, finally received a diagnosis of chronic spontaneous urticaria.
The NHS describes the condition as a distressing skin disorder that causes painful hives or wheals – raised rashes with no clear cause or trigger. In May, Torileigh is set to begin immunosuppressant injections.
With March marking autoimmune awareness month, she now hopes to raise awareness of the illness, saying she wishes she had someone to turn to during her darkest moments.
A spokesperson for Allergy UK, which specialises in chronic spontaneous urticaria, said: “Chronic spontaneous urticaria can sometimes be difficult to diagnose, as urticaria can be a symptom of other medical conditions.
“It may take several visits to your GP or healthcare professional to get a diagnosis or to find a treatment that helps control your symptoms”.