Every time Lena’s husband returned home after being with his mistress, she experienced severe coughing fits. One day, she encountered her rival face to face and collapsed. Doctors determined that Lena died from a sudden allergic shock, leading to angioedema (known as Quincke’s edema) and asphyxiation.
The allergen originated from the third party – Kachia, Lena’s husband’s mistress.
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Illustration of Quincke’s edema (Photo: derma) |
At the start of the school year, when Kachia, a young German language lecturer, joined the department, 50-year-old department head Sviatoslav underwent a noticeable transformation. Like fire meeting straw, it wasn’t long before the two were romantically involved.
As for Sviatoslav, he often returned home late after work. He explained to Lena that he was busy writing his doctoral thesis. Lena seemed to sense that on the days her husband returned from his mistress, she felt extremely fatigued. She often suffered from severe coughing fits. Strangely, on the days Sviatoslav did not meet Kachia, Lena felt much better. Doctors discovered she had asthma, requiring her to take medication regularly.
A Terrifying Revelation
Allergy specialists sought to identify the cause of Lena’s allergic reactions and suggested her husband see a doctor to clarify some details. Sviatoslav appeared the following day. The doctor asked if he had used any new perfumes, made changes at work, or if there had been any renovations in the office… He was encouraged to recount any recent changes in his life. Sviatoslav thought about Kachia but did not disclose the entire truth.
The doctor informed him that there are cases in medicine where a person carries pheromones received from another individual, which can cause allergic reactions and significantly impact the health of a third party—none other than his wife. The doctor suggested Sviatoslav bring Kachia in. Initially, Sviatoslav thought the doctor’s suggestion was absurd, yet he complied.
The Final Outburst
One day, after receiving a call from a woman informing her that Sviatoslav was involved with a new female lecturer in the department, Lena thanked the caller and quickly put on her coat. Without knocking, she burst into her husband’s office, where only Kachia was present.
Upon seeing Kachia, Lena turned pale and struggled to breathe. She could not stand and had to lean against the back of a chair. She collapsed and began coughing violently. Kachia rushed out to inform Sviatoslav and call for an ambulance. Doctors determined that Lena had died from a sudden allergic shock, leading to angioedema (known as Quincke’s edema) and asphyxiation.
Quincke’s edema often precedes anaphylactic shock, characterized by swelling in the face, lips, eyelids, ears, tongue, and trachea, leading to severe breathing difficulties. In Lena’s case, the allergen’s source was traced back to Kachia, resulting in a fatal outcome. Even if emergency services had arrived in time, they could not have saved her due to the direct allergen exposure.
The Final Issue Resolved in Court.
| In the spring of 1990, 11-year-old Kevin Ryan from Illinois, USA, attended a meeting of the U.S. Senate subcommittee on environmental protection. He complained that since new neighbors—a staff of a pesticide manufacturing company—moved in next door, he began experiencing numbness in his limbs, joint pain, chest tightness, and occasional diarrhea and vomiting. This condition persisted for months. The senators’ opinions were divided: some believed the boy, while others thought his parents were merely trying to extract money from the health insurance company. Furthermore, the data provided by Ryan’s treating physician showed no illness was detected in the boy. After a break, a representative from the chemical company where the Ryan family’s neighbors worked was invited to the meeting. As this person sat down next to the boy, he began to experience difficulty breathing and gradually lost consciousness. Doctors present at the hearing determined he was suffering from acute allergies, leading to throat swelling and increased heart rate. The boy was immediately treated; otherwise, he would have died from asphyxiation. An allergy expert who spoke at the subsequent meeting explained that the cause was the odor emanating from the chemical company employee’s clothing. |
