Swimmer's Itch: Cercarial Dermatitis

For anyone who's gone swimming in a lake, water hole or even the ocean, a condition known as swimmer's itch might just happen to you. This is a condition that can sometimes be caused by a small parasite that burrows into the skin to stay moist. This little parasite is a cercaria and lives in snails until they shed it into the water. The symptoms of swimmer's itch are, as the name suggests, itching, as well as red raised bumps. The parasite usually lives on ducks and other water fowl, but sometimes it chooses a human by mistake. When it burrows beneath the skin, it causes dermatitis which makes the skin itch.

Sometimes, however, itching leading to dermatitis can occur after swimming and could be caused by pesticides, sewage or other small parasites in the water. After exiting the water, it's important to rinse off in a shower right away to wash away any pollutants If the condition is from a parasite, then over the counter remedies include washing in vinegar, rubbing alcohol or even a weak ammonia solution. The parasites will usually die fairly soon and the itching should stop within a week or so. If the itching continues for longer than a few days, a dermatologist can prescribe medication to ease the itching. People can usually get swimmer's itch during the summer months when the temperature of the water is warm enough for the snails that shed the parasite to grow and reproduce. Summer time is also the time when migrating birds return from their winter habitats and begin to hang around the water bodies where they will drop off their parasites.

The only effective way to diagnose a case of cercaria is if numerous people who have been swimming in the same location all report the itching dermatitis. That way, it pretty much eliminates people who might just be sensitive to dry skin or something else in the water. People can reduce the possibility of infection by using caution where they swim. Avoid areas where there is a lot of vegetation that might house snails or where there have been previous reports of swimmer's itch. It's also a good idea to dry off as soon as you get out of the water so that they parasite won't want to stay on your skin. There has been some inconclusive evidence that sunscreens might help deter the parasites from attaching themselves to the skin.