People who develop swimmer's itch typically get it in shallow water close to the shore where wind and waves have caused the collection of the organisms.įor that reason, children are often the ones most likely to get the rash because they tend to spend longer amounts of time sitting or wading in shallow water. Symptoms will appear in up to 2 days after being exposed. The rash and itch reaction, which happens within hours to days, is typically short-lived usually about a week. Meyerson said changing out of your swimsuit is also recommended because it can be difficult to wash and dry it the same way you can your skin.Įxperts emphasize the parasites that cause swimmer's itch don't mean a lake or particular beach is unhealthy. The swimmers itch is actually an allergic reaction to the worms. They usually burrow in when you dry."įor that reason, washing and toweling off thoroughly after swimming in Northern Michigan's inland lakes can go a long way in helping you escape swimmer's itch. "Some people might feel some tingling as they burrow in. "Swimmer's itch will usually come out the next day or even that evening," Meyerson said. Medical experts say there is no further health risk, noting that the larvae cannot develop inside a human and die shortly after burrowing into the skin.
SWIMMERS ITCH BUMPS SKIN
Snails then release a different type of microscopic larvae that swim in the water searching for a bird, continuing the cycle.īut, if instead of a bird those larvae from the snails come in contact with humans, they burrow into the skin and can cause the reaction or rash that is swimmer's itch. Once a snail is found, they infect the snail and multiply. Those larvae swim in the water in search of a certain species of snail. Swimmers itch is an itchy skin rash caused by an allergic reaction to the larval forms of parasitic flatworms released from aquatic snails into fresh and. If they land in water, the eggs hatch and microscopic larvae are released. Its eggs exit the birds in the form of waste. Small, reddish pimples or bumps that form a rash. The adult form of the parasite lives in ducks, geese, gulls and swans. Symptoms of swimmer’s itch (cercarial dermatitis) include: Tingling, burning or itchy skin. The small organisms that cause the condition move between water fowl and snails in the lakes as they mature and lay new eggs. It also causes a burning or tingling sensation on the skin. It can cause mild skin irritation to a severely itchy red rash. To some, the science behind swimmer's itch is far more unsettling than the rash itself. The parasites that cause swimmer’s itch burrow into the skin during swimming.