I’m signed up for a race next weekend - just got an email from the race director that they are having a swimmers itch outbreak at the lake. I’ve never heard of that before so did a little online research. Sounds unpleasant but not deadly. For those more familiar with it…would you chance it and do the race?? Am I guaranteed to get it if its in the water?? Ordinary I’d just do the race and see what happens, but I have a big work trip scheduled for the following week…one in which showing up like a itchy, bumpy mess would not be good. Anyone have any first hand experience with it?
We have it in a lake out here. Some people in my swim group swim there regularly. They just get a couple of bumps here and there. Based on that I would still do the race.
Go ahead, worst case, you’ll itch a little after the race.
As a child in Minnesota, I never knew when I was going to get chiggers or swimmers itch. The itching can be pretty miserable but that’s all - itching and welts. .
If the wind is blowing into your beach, it will be a bigger issue.
If you wear a wetsuit, that may help prevent the little critters from getting your skin. I’d also keep a towel in transition, and just give a quick rubdown of the arms, legs, hands , feet and face. Okay, it costs a little time, maybe it doesnt work, but better than itching for a few days.
I always felt lathering up in sunscreen helps.
There is a new product out called swimmersitchguard. It wasn’t around when I was a child, but after having a few cases of itch, I would not hesitate to try it.
Perfect - thanks for the tips. I’m familiar with chiggers - is this swimmers itch thing generally similar? Like, it is usually just a few small itchy spots around ankles or something?? The pictures on the internet of people with full body rash had me pretty scared!!
I’ve had swimmers itch many times. I would never consider bailing on a race, even if I was guaranteed to get it if I participated. It’s annoying for a few days but that’s about it. Now if the run went through a field of poison ivy that would be a different story.
So, on a scale of one to poison ivy…its not generally that bad?
When you scratch poison ivy, it spreads. Swimmers itch doesnt spread. It makes for a big difference.
not really. if you have the oil on your hands it will spread, or if you have the oil on your arm/clothes and you scratch your arm, you’ll spread the oil around, but if you scratch the rash (after you’ve showered and removed all the oil from your skin) and some of the rash opens, it’s not going to spread.
He is probably referring to “duck itch” or more properly “cercarial dermatitis.” It is very common here in the finger lakes region of upstate NY. It is actually a flatworm parasite that has following life cycle: worm eggs excreted in duck feces, sinks to bottom and is taken in by the next host, freshwater snails. Life cycle continues and larvae are then released by snails that float back up looking for duck as the host so they can continue to producing eggs, which are excreted in feces, all over again. When larvae are floating in water looking for ducks, they can accidentaly encounter the human swimmer and penetrate the skin. Since humans are not a proper host, the larvae will die immediately and cause a local reaction. Your body’s immune system will eventually clear the parasite but the local reaction is equivalent to a mosquito bite for most people. In our local lake, I swam in an area where many people were affected and I never was. I was wearing a wetsuit half of the time also, which probably helps. Also, towelling off immediately after getting out may help. For a race though, don’t worry about it.
you’ll sweat on the bike and run so that will help. Take a shower as soon as you possibly can post race - that will help.
I wouldn’t skip the race for it.
My experience with it is it only happens when we stuck around at the shore for a while then didn’t dry off.
If you run from the shore and wipe off your legs before you get on your bike you will most likely not have any issues.
jaretj
Hi, Im new here. I see your post is from September but I wanted to let you know what helped me when I had poison ivy. I found something called poison ivy wash. Its a grainy paste, you mix it with water and it removes the oils from your skin. Worked quick enough for me! It costs anywhere from $15 to $45, and comes in many different name brands…anyone will do in a crisis!