Northwoods lakes are a natural draw for swimming and other water sports on a hot summer’s day, but an occasional side effect can come from such lake water fun – swimmer’s itch.
Swimmer’s itch is an allergic reaction to a parasite called a schistosome.
“The parasite is present in the feces of waterfowl such as ducks or geese,” said Dr. Joanna Gudel, a Marshfield Clinic pediatrician. “With the help of snails, the parasite reproduces and is released into the water in search of a host bird or mammal. It gets stuck to the skin and produces an allergic reaction that results in a bothersome, itchy rash.”
Swimmer’s itch symptoms
- Red pimple type of rash.
- Intense itchiness.
- Occasional burning, tingling or small blisters.
“The parasite cannot survive in humans,” Gudel said. “It will die within 24 hours. Symptoms usually appear within 24 hours of exposure to the parasite and will last only for a few days.”
No formal treatments
There is no prescribed treatment for swimmer’s itch.
“To relieve itching, I suggest soaking the affected area with a cool compress or applying an anti-itch or hydrocortisone cream,” Gudel said. “Try to avoid lake water swimming, wading or other water activities until the rash has cleared. Returning to the water where the parasite is suspected could cause a more severe rash to occur.”
Swimmer’s itch begins to appear in May and June and becomes more common during the height of summer. When it does occur in a particular lake, it’s more likely to be present in shallow water or near the beach.
Debunking swimmer’s itch myths
- It’s unrelated to high bacteria count problems that occur in some lakes.
- It cannot be caught at a swimming pool because of pool chlorination.
- It’s not contagious. The allergic reaction cannot be passed from person to person.
Reduce your risks
- Towel dry or take a shower right after swimming in lake water.
- Avoid feeding and thereby attracting birds to beach areas.
- Steer clear of areas in lakes known to have high incidence of swimmer’s itch.
“If you’re uncertain whether the rash has been caused by swimmer’s itch, see your doctor,” Gudel said.
As a Northern girl that has relatives that frequent the water's where the lakes are at times infested with the dreadful swimmer's itch. Our family has found that using baby oil, sunblock and lotions has reduced the swimmer's itch contact with our children. I'm not sure how or why it works but glad it does, because swimmer's itch is horrid for young children.
Any truth to Wearing heavy lotion (like lots of suntan lotion) will not allow parasite to reach swimmers skin? Or applying Zinc oxide before swimming helps?
Hi, JoAnn,
According to Dr. Sanjeev Jain, pediatrician, wearing heavy lotion does not prevent the parasite from reaching the skin. Thanks for the inquiry. I plan to incorporate this into an updated version of the story Have a great weekend.
– Jake
I've heard from some people that a generous coating of Waterproof Sun Block helps,
or another coats her legs and arms with Vaseline as a preventive.
Hi, Elizabeth,
Great question. Dr. Sanjeev Jain, pediatrician, said that no, unfortunately waterproof sunblock and other lotions, etc., do not prevent the parasite from reaching the skin.
Thanks,
Jake
Since this article is published by a medical organization I would assume a variety of statistical data is available that would provide information on the number of incidents, locations most reported, the severity of rashes (requiring a hospital visit -vs- home treatment) and photographs of the most common examples. Suggested treatments included cool compress and hydrocortisone cream. Would Benadryl be an effective option? At what point would the symptoms associated with swimmers itch require a doctor? (i.e. an infant or special needs child who is unable to communicate). My 6yr daughter recently had this rash and being from the west coast I virtually knew nothing of swimmers itch. As you could imagine I scoured the internet for hours trying to accurately identify the rash, so when I saw the title of this article "How to ditch swimmer’s itch" I naturally thought finally some good information I can use to prevent and protect my children from this and better yet it's local to my area. Not so much…
Hi, Ron,
I'm sorry you did not find this information useful, but do appreciate the feedback. I did speak with Dr. Jain, pediatrician. He said, yes, Benadryl can relieve itching. He said swimmer's itch typically does not require a doctor's visit, unless the person with the rash or a parent is uncertain that it's swimmer's itch. We'll be certain to update the story accordingly.
Thanks,
Jake
Not impressed at all. This article told me nothing everyone
does not already know. And, it gave no real advice on not getting it.
Hi, Suzanne,
I'm sorry you feel that way, but thank you for the feedback. We're always looking to make our information as useful as possible.
The best ways to avoid it, as stated in the article, are to:
– Towel dry or take a shower right after swimming in lake water.
– Avoid feeding and thereby attracting birds to beach areas.
– Steer clear of areas in lakes known to have high incidence of swimmer’s itch.
Again, thanks for the feedback,
Jake, Shine365 editor