![]() ![]() If your child is bothered by any kind of itchy rash, it’s always a great idea to ask the experts at Utah Valley Pediatrics. Be sure to take the necessary precautions and research whether your favorite swimming spot has been infected. Use over-the-counter anti-itch lotions.ĭeveloping a rash or having any kind of allergic reaction can ruin a fun getaway.Mix baking soda and water until it becomes a paste and apply to skin.Mix epsom salts or baking soda into bath water.The best way to treat swimmer’s itch is with at-home and over-the-counter treatments like these: Swimmer’s itch doesn’t usually require medical treatment, but it can be irritating. Fortunately, swimmer’s itch doesn’t spread from person to person. This is a lot to ask of small kids, so if the rash is bad enough, your provider may suggest prescription creams to lessen their symptoms. However, resist scratching irritated skin because it may lead to infection. In most cases, swimmer’s itch doesn’t require a trip to the doctor. Swimmers itch, cercarial dermatitis or schistosome dermatitis is a short-term allergic contact dermatitis occurring in the skin of humans that have been. Should I be worried about my kids getting swimmer’s itch? Pimples will take about twelve hours to appear, and they may form small blisters. The skin irritation or rash may form within a few minutes up to days after swimming. Symptoms of the allergic reaction include: Don’t feed waterfowl, and avoid doing things to attract them.Air drying allows the parasite more time to invade the skin. Towel off immediately after exiting the water.Don’t swim or wade in marshy or swampy bodies of water. ![]() Stay out of waters you know to be infested.Research the lake to see if it has had any positive cases in recent years.How can I reduce the chances of getting swimmer’s itch?įollow these precautions to reduce the chance of developing swimmer’s itch: Be cautious swimming in bodies of water that contain high numbers of aquatic snails and birds. ![]() With recent heat waves and drought, infested waters may increase. Sand Hollow Reservoir, Fire Lake Park at Ivins Reservoir, Mantua Reservoir, and Willard Bay are among the common areas where positive cases of swimmer’s itch have occurred. Where have there been reported cases and infected lakes?Įven in 2022, there have already been reported cases throughout Utah. Children make the most frequent cases because they play in shallower waters where larvae hang about. Anyone who swims or wades in infested waters is at risk. However, their presence will often cause an allergic reaction, leading to a rash. Since humans aren’t a suitable host for the parasite, the larvae that cause swimmer’s itch will burrow into human skin and then die without spreading. When people swim in infested waters, the larvae can enter their skin. Developed larvae will then seek out a suitable host in birds and mammals living in shallow parts of the lakes, ponds, and oceans. The larvae search for a host in certain aquatic snails where they undergo further development. They form and mature in the blood of these animals and spread when the parasite’s eggs-found in the fecal matter-are released in water, where the microscopic larvae then hatch. The parasites that cause swimmer’s itch come from infected birds and mammals such as ducks, geese, gulls, swans, muskrats, and raccoons. Although it’s not as common in Utah as in other states, cases and reports of infected lakes continue to increase enough to warrant caution. The parasite responsible lives in ponds, lakes, and even oceans. Swimmer’s itch is an allergic reaction and rash caused by microscopic parasites burrowing into your skin. Before you go, check whether that lake is infected with cercarial dermatitis, better known as swimmer’s itch. Summertime has arrived, and you’re looking forward to a day out on the lake.
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