When this occurs the area around the rash starts to get more uniformly red and extend beyond the area of the rash.
SWIMMERS ITCH PICTURES SKIN
The only real complication with swimmer’s itch is the potential for a secondary bacterial skin infection due to the disruption in the skin barrier, which opens the doors for other germs to invade the skin layers and cause an infection.
Most of the time the rash will go away on its own, but sometimes using a cool cloth as a compress or adding some cortisone cream on top can minimize any symptoms.
It is not contagious and cannot be spread from one person to another. It’s important to know that this isn’t an infection per se, but rather simply an inflammatory reaction to the presence of a foreign invader in the skin. However, the parasite gets into the water via snails (either fresh, brackish or salt water) and when it comes into contact with people it can burrow into the skin and cause a red bumpy rash that can sting or itch. Swimmer’s itch is a skin rash caused by a reaction to parasites that preferentially affect birds and other animals, not people. Prevention of this (albeit rare) infection is best: just being mindful of being in the sea water with an open wound and paying attention to careful wound hygiene and any skin changes around the cut or scratch that may develop are key.Īnother water “illness” that deserves attention today is “Swimmer’s Itch,” or cercarial dermatitis.Įver heard of it? Even after living on the Chesapeake Bay for almost 20 years I’ve only learned about this one relatively recently. This type of bacteria tends to cause “necrosis” (25 cents) or devitalization of tissue and if that happens the skin must be removed before it gets further damaged. For this infection, treatment must be started early to decrease the chances of serious illness and possible loss of the affected extremity if the infection localizes to a limb. If the skin around the scratch or cut starts to look red and angry, medical attention should be sought right away. People most at risk are those with a weakened immune system, but anyone with an open wound should either stay out of warm brackish or salt water or at least wash vigorously after swimming with soap and water. The most common point of entry is by eating raw or undercooked shellfish, particularly oysters, but the infection can also be transmitted when the bacteria invades the skin through a scratch, cut, or other interruption of that protective layer. This skin infection, although rare, can be quite serious and is due to invasion of the skin layers by a class of bacteria that live in sea water called Vibrio vulnificus.
This campaign really got me thinking about some of the other aspects of water safety, like skin reactions and infections, and while I’m not sure I have a bunch of clever slogans at the ready, what I can do is put together a little more news you can use as you enjoy the water this summer.įirst, I’m going to call out the “flesh eating bacteria” that gets some press each year, and with good reason. Useful information, and a slightly different thread from the current running topics of drowning prevention and general pool safety such as touch supervision and using US Coast Guard approved personal flotation devices, etc. The campaign further publicized the importance of regular public pool inspections and pool chemical safety as well. In an attempt to raise awareness about pool contamination, they made several clever infographics like this:Īren’t these fantastic? They really get the important message across that it only takes ONE person to contaminate the water and potentially get many people sick. I’m not sure if you saw last week’s “Healthy and Safe Swimming Week” campaign from the CDC, but it was awesome. 3 Water Illnesses You Might Not Have Thought of Yet
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