It’s summertime, and for many individuals which means spending time with household and pals on the lake or river. For some, it additionally means an disagreeable pores and skin irritation: swimmer’s itch.
Swimmer’s itch, additionally known as cercarial dermatitis, is a rash that may happen after you go swimming or wading outdoor. It’s commonest after being in freshwater lakes and ponds, however you will get it in saltwater too.
There is not any danger of contracting swimmer’s itch from a properly maintained and chlorinated swimming pool, in line with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Swimmer’s itch often is attributable to a response to tiny parasites within the water that burrow into your pores and skin when you’re swimming or wading in heat, calm water. Swimmer’s itch isn’t contagious from individual to individual. The parasites can’t survive in folks, in order that they quickly die.
Symptoms
Swimmer’s itch signs embody an itchy rash that appears like pimples or blisters. Symptoms could start inside minutes or so long as two days after swimming or wading in contaminated water.
Usually, the rash impacts pores and skin that’s not lined by swimsuits, wetsuits or waders. Your sensitivity to swimmer’s itch can enhance every time you’re uncovered to the parasites that trigger it.
The situation can seem like poison ivy rash and different pores and skin situations. Your healthcare skilled doubtless will diagnose swimmer’s itch by your pores and skin and speaking with you about your actions and signs. There are not any particular exams to diagnose swimmer’s itch.
Prevention
Follow these tricks to keep away from swimmer’s itch:
— Choose swimming spots fastidiously.Avoid being in water close to the shore the place swimmer’s itch is a identified downside or the place indicators have been posted warning of the chance. Also keep away from being in marshy areas the place snails usually are discovered.
— Rinse after swimming.Rinse uncovered pores and skin with clear water proper after leaving the water. Then dry the pores and skin with a towel.
— Skip the breadcrumbs.Don’t feed birds on piers or close to swimming areas.
Treatment
Typically, no remedy is required, and the situation clears up by itself inside every week.
These ideas may assist scale back the itch:
— Apply a corticosteroid cream or an anti-itch lotion, reminiscent of people who include calamine.
— Take an oral nonprescription antihistamine (Benadryl) or one with loratadine (Alavert, Claritin, others). The latter kind causes much less sleepiness than Benadryl.
— Avoiding scratching the rash.
— Cover affected areas with a clear, damp washcloth.
— Soak in a shower sprinkled with Epsom salts, baking soda or an oatmeal-based tub product (Aveeno, others).
— Apply a paste of baking soda and water to the affected pores and skin.
If the itching is extreme, your well being care skilled could advocate prescription-strength lotions or lotions.
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