KISS OF DEATH?: Chronic condition means smooching risky business for woman

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Read her lips: Be careful!

Anyone looking to score a kiss with Caroline Cray Quinn will want to do so carefully as any given smooch could prove fatal.

The Boston beauty suffers from severe food allergies and a chronic condition known as mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), an immune disease that causes her cells to incorrectly identify things as severe allergens including all but two foods (oats and hypoallergenic formula.)

The disorder causes intense episodes of swelling as well as shortness of breath, hives, diarrhea, vomiting and other symptoms, and can lead to life-threatening anaphylaxis, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

Naturally, there are three rules for anyone looking to kiss Quinn.

“Rule No. 1 is that they can’t have any of my six main anaphylactic allergens (peanuts, tree nuts, sesame, kiwi, mustard or seafood) within 24 hours of kissing me,” Quinn told more than 1.7 million TikTok viewers in a viral video, the New York Post reported.

“The second rule is that they can’t eat anything three hours prior to kissing me,” she said. “Rule No. 3 is that they have to brush their teeth.”

If it all seems a bit intense, know that Quinn is not alone. Roughly one in six people, including A-listers Billie Eilish and Halsey, are diagnosed with a form of mast cell disease. MCAS is the most common, according to the Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (EDS) Clinic.

U.K. gymnast Natasha Coates has the disease and is severely allergic to “strong emotions.” Bouts of laughter, sadness or stress could trigger a fatal chemical reaction.

Coates has likewise gone public with her health struggles, revealing that she planned her own funeral at age 20.

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Coates, who, like Quinn, has shared the harrowing details of her health struggles online, revealed she planned her own funeral at age 20 due to the seriousness of her sickness.

Quinn, however, has made it her mission to focus on living a “full and happy” life.

“(The condition) presents in a lot of uncomfortable and life-threatening symptoms like difficulty breathing, swelling/itchiness in throat and mouth, loss of consciousness, low blood pressure, and hives/rashes,” she said. “In order to avoid MCAS flare-ups and MCAS symptoms, I avoid triggers like food, animal fur/dander, mold, dust, heat, and certain smells.”

As for kissing?

“Kissing boys is definitely a risk,” she said on TikTok. “It invites potential instability into my life. But so does everyday life for me.”

She added: “I could completely avoid kissing and just live in a bubble when it comes to relationships. But I choose to take little calculated risks so that I can live a full and happy life.”

For more health news and content around diseases, conditions, wellness, healthy living, drugs, treatments and more, head to Healthing.ca – a member of the Postmedia Network.