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What Is The Cause And Treatment For Swimmers Itch?
Question: my wife and i have bump that come on our legs primarily, every year for the past 4 years only in mid Aug. it started 4 years ago with my wife after she went to the neighborhood pool. a couple of days later she developed very itchy bump, slight red in color and never grouped just sporadically over the legs. a couple of days later i got the same condition. they go away after about 10 days. two years ago i went to the dermatologist who didn't have a clue but, sent a sample to a lab which came back with nothing. they have just come back on both of us.
Brief Answer:
?? Swimmers itch
Detailed Answer:
Hello sir and welcome.
Thank you for writing to us.
I have gone through your query with diligence and would like you to know that I am here to help. In my opinion, what you are experiencing is called Swimmers itch. It presents with raised bumps and sometimes even blisters caused by parasites in contaminated water. The parasites that your wife was exposed to in the pool has been causing her presentation and could have spread from her body to yours as you share the same bed, house, life in general.
Sometimes the same presentation is also seen with a fungus or virus, which can cause the same presentation as mentioned above. In my opinion, as one of your doctors earlier tested the affected skin and found nothing, it might be difficult to find the cause; but clearly as you have also developed the same presentation from your wife despite the absence of a history of exposure to the water in the pool, it is clearly alive and spreading.
In such a scenario where the cause is clearly present, but difficult to identify we can do the following:
-Topical anti-fungal creams to be applied to the affected region
-Permethrin 5 % dermal cream (to check for allergies before initiation of course)
-Anti-viral medication (Eg. acyclovir tablets)
But you will have to speak to your doctor about the above mentioned treatment and for the prescription sir. I understand how your symptoms might be troublesome and even frustrating, which is why I have recommend a treatment regimen which is quite wide-ranged and should eradicate the cause. Please speak to your doctor about my recommendations at the earliest.
i hope you find my response helpful and informative. Please feel free to write back to me for any further clarifications, I would be more than happy to help you further.
Best of luck sir.
?? Swimmers itch
Detailed Answer:
Hello sir and welcome.
Thank you for writing to us.
I have gone through your query with diligence and would like you to know that I am here to help. In my opinion, what you are experiencing is called Swimmers itch. It presents with raised bumps and sometimes even blisters caused by parasites in contaminated water. The parasites that your wife was exposed to in the pool has been causing her presentation and could have spread from her body to yours as you share the same bed, house, life in general.
Sometimes the same presentation is also seen with a fungus or virus, which can cause the same presentation as mentioned above. In my opinion, as one of your doctors earlier tested the affected skin and found nothing, it might be difficult to find the cause; but clearly as you have also developed the same presentation from your wife despite the absence of a history of exposure to the water in the pool, it is clearly alive and spreading.
In such a scenario where the cause is clearly present, but difficult to identify we can do the following:
-Topical anti-fungal creams to be applied to the affected region
-Permethrin 5 % dermal cream (to check for allergies before initiation of course)
-Anti-viral medication (Eg. acyclovir tablets)
But you will have to speak to your doctor about the above mentioned treatment and for the prescription sir. I understand how your symptoms might be troublesome and even frustrating, which is why I have recommend a treatment regimen which is quite wide-ranged and should eradicate the cause. Please speak to your doctor about my recommendations at the earliest.
i hope you find my response helpful and informative. Please feel free to write back to me for any further clarifications, I would be more than happy to help you further.
Best of luck sir.
Note: Hope the answers resolves your concerns, however for further guidance of skin related queries consult our Dermatologist.Click here to book a consultation
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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