Lake Water Allergies: Understanding Swimmer's Itch

What Is Lake Water Allergies?

During the summer, many people find it very hard to resist jumping into the nearest lake and going for a nice cooling swim.

If you are one of these people you may want to think twice before you jump into any lake or pond even if the water looks really clear.

According to allergy experts, there are allergens in lake and pond water that many people could have reactions to.

These reactions could be just simply an all over itch or they could be as severe as marks being left on your skin.

Allergies from lake water are commonly called swimmers itch and are mostly caused by infection due to contaminated water.

Contamination does not only have to come from industrial dumping or other things of that sort; many different things can cause contamination.

Natural contamination can be caused by the multitude of wild life that live in and around the lake.

It is a fact that many lakes around the country contain parasites that live on the birds and other wild life that tend to feed and drink from the lake.

The parasites are known to cause allergies when they come in contact with skin.

But because it would be inhuman to take away an animals natural habitat and not let them use the lake there is only one solution, simply avoid swimming in lakes if you are prone to lake allergies.

What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Lake Water Allergies?

If you have an allergy to contaminated lake water it will only take a couple of hours and your skin may start itching, tingling or burning as a result.

Within twelve hours many people have begun to notice pimples popping up all over their bodies and if the infection is not treated properly these reddish pimples can turn into ugly blisters.

The best thing to do is apply some anti-allergy cream to the affected areas and it should go away but if the infection persist after a few days you should seek medical attention.

Some people have been known to develop more serious reactions to lake water. Also, continuous and prolonged exposure to lake water can just irritate the situation even more.

If you develop more serious forms of allergic reactions to lake water that may be contaminated 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.