What could cause a salt allergy?

So over the summer I visited a friend living in TN, who's 55-60 year old mother absolutely lives and breathes in a salt-free environment. I mean, the only sodium that family gets to touch are salt packets that the father and son have been able to collect from visits to restaurants like Wendys, etc.

From what she told me, it's a condition that started some twenty years ago and grew with time. Her son is over 25 now. She uses potassium chloride salt-replacement in her cooking, and a very high amount of sorbitol as her sweetner.

Basically if she even gets the tiniest amount of salt in her food or drink, she gets heavy allergic reactions and pain, and it can make her bedridden for days.

The house they live in is from the 1950's-1960's, and it does not look to me like the carpet or wallpaper (or drywall) has been changed from the time the house was constructed. The stairs, for example, are carpeted (classic).

Her son was diagnosed with ADHD and showed some difficulties with making moral desisions when young. He's still a person who does not have high self-confidence.


So, having read a lot of Iodine material, I was pondering the whole time if the salt intolerance could be because of a bromide issue.

She gets her chlorides via the potassium chloride, but why does sodium trigger the reactions?

I figure it's not an immediate sensitivity to Iodine because the levels are so low in american tablesalt.

She's also hypersensitive to perfumes.

Mind in your replies, I can't use advice on what to do to rectify the situation, I don't have that kind of relationship with the woman, to have influence on her choices in healthcare.

What are your thoughts?