Yes, you can actually be *allergic* to your office’s frigid temperature

One of the most frustrating (albeit seemingly universal) truths of office environments is that when outdoor temperatures climb, the indoor climate falls victim to air-conditioning blasts that give any and all spaces arctic-tundra vibes. (In fact, this phenomenon of needing a professionally acceptable sweater for office survival isn’t limited to the summer days.) But if your body seems to have a serious, unusual reaction to the low temps, a new study says that it might be because you’re allergic to the cold—yes, really.

Recently, doctors came across a 40-year-old woman who suffered from an extreme allergic reaction—she broke out in hives!—when the air-conditioning in her office was turned on, and her experience became the crux of a case report published in the journal Climacteric. She was later diagnosed with cold urticaria, which is a rare allergy to cold (be it air-conditioning, water, or cold surfaces and objects). Symptoms include hives, dizziness, feeling faint, and swelling.

Cold urticaria is a rare allergy to cold (be it air-conditioning, water, or cold surfaces and objects), and symptoms include hives, dizziness, feeling faint, and swelling.

Those who are afflicted with cold urticaria react more to sudden changes in temperature rather than to the cold itself, according to Bustle. And since an allergic reaction can occur simply by touching your thighs to a toilet seat, for those who suffer from cold urticaria, the threat is seemingly everywhere. So take note if that scarf you throw over your shoulders doesn’t seem to be cutting it anymore in your cold office.

And regardless of hives, if you’re uncomfortably chilly in your office, simply talk with your manager about raising the temperature: Frigid workplaces are traditionally catered to the patriarchy, after all, which is all the more reason to fight against them.

You can alleviate certain allergies by eating these foods and stopping these habits.