How to prevent swimmer’s itch

FARGO (KVRR) – It’s summer time. Which means thousands of people will hit the lakes for the holiday weekend.

While it is an unofficial kick-off to the summer, it also signifies the potential risks with swimmer’s itch.

“If you swim in water that has been recently inhabited by water fowl, the potential for that parasite to be present means that it can get into the skin and cause irritation.” said Joseph Halvorson with Essentia Health.

Here are some of the signs of swimmer’s itch according to the C-D-C.

• Tingling, burning or itching of the skin
• Small, reddish pimples
• Small blisters

“The good thing is that it is largely self limited meaning it is going to cause symptoms for usually a few days.” said Halvorson.

There are ways to prevent this issue. You can towel dry or or shower immediately after leaving the water.

“The better we are at preventing and mitigating those first two steps the less likely you’re going to need to try and focus on the treatment side because you can avoid the symptoms.” said Halvorson.

For more information on Swimmer’s Itch, click here.