Swimmer's itch hits in late summer when shallow Chesapeake tributaries warm up and microscopic parasites from snails mistake human skin for a duck. The good news: it is not contagious, not dangerous, and it goes away on its own. The bad news: it itches like crazy for about a week.
What it looks and feels like
- Small red bumps or blisters that appear within hours to a day after swimming in fresh or brackish water.
- Itch is intense and can wake you up at night; scratching makes the bumps last longer.
- Bumps usually cluster where your swimsuit was tight - waistband, straps, leg openings - because the parasites get trapped under the fabric.
What to do right now
- Shower immediately after swimming and towel off briskly - the parasites burrow during the first few minutes out of the water.
- A brief rinse with clean water after your swim helps, but vigorous towel drying matters more.
- For the itch: cool compresses, calamine lotion, and 1% hydrocortisone on the worst spots.
- Oral antihistamines at night help you sleep through the worst of it.
- The rash peaks around day 2 or 3 and fades by day 7; do not scratch or you will risk infection.
Local note
On Delmarva, swimmer's itch shows up in shallow warm tributaries of the Chesapeake - the Wicomico, Pocomoke, and Nanticoke rivers are common spots in August. Deeper open water and the ocean surf are usually clear. The best prevention is to swim in deeper water and towel off right away.
The water is fine - just towel off fast. See you in September.
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