firetore.blogg.se - Swimmers itch kids

If you can’t (or even after you do), rub down vigorously all over with a rough towel.įor more information, visit the CDC Swimmer’s Itch frequently-asked-questions page.

Shower right after swimming, if possible.

It seems to help prevent the flatworms from penetrating the skin.

Slather on the “waterproof” sunscreen before you send your kids into lakes and ponds. Swimmers Itch, technically known as schistosome dermatitis, is a common malady around Minnesotas lakes during midsummer.

Try to avoid swimming in areas where lots of ducks and/or geese congregate (usually because people are feeding them), or near marshy areas that may harbor lots of snails.

For just a few spots, spritz on apple cider vinegar or swab with a damp washcloth dipped in baking soda. If you get a bad case of swimmer’s itch, soak in a tepid oatmeal bath. You can’t give it to or get if from others. The rash can get more severe each time you get it. Vigorous scratching can lead to infection. On me, anyway, it looks a lot like a poison-ivy rash.

The rash shows up any time from a couple of hours to two days after exposure. The flatworm larvae cause an allergic reaction, but because humans aren’t a suitable host for the worms, they die without infecting you. People who get it tend to swim regularly, have sensitive skins, and wade or hang out in shallow water (especially kids), since the parasites tend to concentrate near the shoreline. and all the Canadian provinces, most of them in the northern tier of states. The cause? The larval, aquatic form of a flatworm whose life cycle involves both snails and (in most cases) birds.Ĭases have occurred in every state in the U.S.

Once you’ve had a case of raised rash that can itch for a couple of weeks (a lot like poison ivy), you won’t want to get it again. When the water gets warm enough for swimming, I know I’ll need to take preventive measures before and after my frequent midsummer swims to keep from getting a bad case of swimmer’s itch.