Question to GP Maarten: Swimming in a pool and directly under the skin rash (red skin, itching, red bumps)
Maarten Vasbinder lives in Isaan. His profession is general practitioner, a profession that he mainly practiced in Spain. On Thailandblog he answers questions from readers who live in Thailand.
Do you have a question for Maarten and do you live in Thailand? Send this to the editor: www.thailandblog.nl/contact/ It is important that you provide the correct information such as:
- Age
- Complaints)
- History
- Medication use, including supplements, etc.
- Smoking, alcohol
- Overweight
- Any laboratory results and other tests
- Possible blood pressure
Photos and attachments can be sent to [email protected] everything can be done anonymously, your privacy is guaranteed.
Dear Martin,
For 10 years I have been in the Netherlands for 4 months and in Thailand for 8 months. I only swim in Thailand. At least 5 days a week 1 km for my condition in about 30 minutes. In the same pool as my apartment in Chiang Mai for the past 5 years.
Last week I arrived in Thailand from the Netherlands and went swimming the next day and within 1 minute, I'm not exaggerating, my whole body was covered in red spots, small bumps everywhere and a terrible itch. No other complaints whatsoever. I've never experienced that before, I took a shower like lightning. Everything rinsed well and rubbed with tiger balm. After an hour everything has disappeared and the itching and red skin have disappeared. Other residents just swim without complaints.
The manager immediately sent someone to check the pool water. The chlorine content and PH degree was the same as always. This is checked every week. Today I dipped my arm in the pool for 30 seconds and the exact same thing happened. Bright red skin and terrible itching, similar to a number of mosquito bites. And within half an hour all complaints disappeared like snow in the sun.
I do not take any medication, 175 cm, 63 years, 68 kg. Good condition, drinking wine and beer regularly, taking a standard vitamin and mineral supplement every day. No complaints otherwise. What could it be?
Regards,
J.
*******
Dear J,
Even if the chlorine content of the water is the same, you may still get red bumps.
Try swimming in natural water to see if it occurs, or in a pool with salt water. Sea water is also possible.
Swimmer's itch caused by flatworm larvae seems unlikely. That also takes much longer.
Perhaps you use a sunscreen that reacts with chlorine? Take a shower before swimming and see what happens.
In any case, have the water inspected by an independent company.
I can't say much more about it either.
Yours faithfully,
Dr. Maarten
Do you have a question for Maarten and do you live in Thailand? Send this to the editor: www.thailandblog.nl/contact/ It is important that you provide the correct information (see list at the top of the page).