Lake Water Allergies: Understanding Swimmer’s Itch

If you are one of those people who simply can’t resist a good swim, you might think twice about wading and swimming into some lakes and ponds no matter how clear the water may appear to you. According to experts, lake water allergies can cause a lot of discomforts to people and may even leave some ugly marks on your skin.

What Is Lake Water Allergies?

Lake water allergies also known as swimmer’s itch is the skins allergic reaction to infection cause by contaminated water. Contamination in the water does not mean industrial contamination or anything of that sort. What we mean here is the natural forms of contamination which is caused by birds and mammals that are living near the lake.

Note that many lakes in the country contain parasites of birds and mammals that can cause allergies. These allergens in the water are especially common during the summer time when more birds and mammals visit the lake. Since we cannot really prevent birds and mammals from getting into the lake and it would be downright inhuman to deprive these animals of their natural habitat, the only solution here is to avoid swimming into the lake especially if you are prone to lake water allergies.

What Are The Signs And Symptoms Of Lake Water Allergies?

The most common symptoms of lake water allergies is tingling, burning or itching of the skin within a few hours after you waded or swam in contaminated lake water. Many people also develop reddish pimples all over their bodies within 12 hours after they went into contact with the water. If not treated properly, these reddish pimples may develop into ugly blisters. Yes, things can really get quite ugly when this happen and you could suffer from a lot of discomforts for around a week or two. Fortunately, applying anti allergy cream and ointment on the affected areas of the skin will make the blisters go away within the next few days so you need not go to the hospital. 

On the other hand, there are some people who develop more serious lake water allergies symptoms. Continuous or prolonged exposure to contaminated water often aggravates the situation. If you develop more serious forms of allergic reactions to contaminated lake water such as shortness of breath, huge lesions in your skin, fever and the likes, you should see your doctor immediately. You may be suffering from complications so do not ignore your symptoms.