Bumps From Being In Lake

cabinfever · 06-30-2005, 02:17 PM

Yep, got swimmer's itch on Pine Island, too....

wildwoodfam · 06-30-2005, 03:46 PM

30 years never one case of the itch for any of the family members! Being on an island should protect you as the currents and winds push the waters around and carry the parasites away - or so we figured. The Bear Island cases are peculiar indeed. Which side of the island were you swimming off when you developed the itch? Like I said - 30 years of lake loving and never an itch - now poison ivy is a whole other story!!!! OUCH!

KonaChick · 06-30-2005, 04:43 PM

We look over at Bear Island from Cooks Point area

LakeLackey · 06-30-2005, 07:12 PM

East side of BI between Pine Is and camps, looking at Moultonborough.

gravy boat · 06-30-2005, 09:03 PM

I am fortunate...haven't had it yet. My husband got a case of it last summer.
Personally, I swear by the following:

1. use as much sunblock as you want, but right before going into the water, slather on oil -- suntan oil with sunblock if you need it. But the point is, don't be shy with oiling up.
2. towel off IMMEDIATELY after getting out of the water.
3. don't feed the ducks where you typically swim and don't swim in areas that are frequented by ducks.

That's it. Simple. And it's worked. I've never had duck itch.

Although I've probably just jinxed myself

Gravy

SIKSUKR · 07-01-2005, 08:55 AM

I think that some people are allergic to it and others are not.I am constantly wet from being on the PWC,never towel off,swim in every area of the lake and have never had a hint of a reaction in 25 years here.Oh boy,now I did it.I can feel myself getting itchy as I write this. SS

Zee · 07-01-2005, 09:16 AM

I too have had duck itch each summer for the past five years. I swim every weekend and have found that when I get it is when I have been nearest the shore where it is rocky. I have never gotten it when swimming out from the shore or off a boat. It is my understanding that the parasite clings to rocks. I am very susceptible to it although my husband has never had a problem with it and we swim in the same areas. Then again he doesn't get affected by poison ivy either.

Bear Islander · 07-01-2005, 05:32 PM

Twenty years on Bear Island near Pine and never a case of duck itch. In the last few days 3 out of 4 family members have it bad, The 4th never went in the water.

I think it is especially bad this year.

Lakewinniboater · 07-06-2005, 01:14 PM

I am thinking it might be an allergy thing. I have never gotten it and I frequent many of the sandbars, islands and out and about on our PWC.

upthesaukee · 07-06-2005, 05:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gravy boat

13. don't feed the ducks where you typically swim and don't swim in areas that are frequented by ducks.

Gravy

Gravy ... I did the emphasis above as I agree with all that you say, but we need to avoid feeding any of the waterfowl. Coming out of West Alton Marina Monday PM, there were 4-5 ducks on the rocks on the west side of the channel, probably 8-10 sitting on logs near the shore, and a few more swimming around the "sand bar". Why were they there???? 'Cause they get fed. Sooooo, I agree with what you say, but simply put, don't feed the ducks. (scratch, scratch....)

ApS · 07-06-2005, 06:22 PM

These ducks swam over to me when a nearby boat that was feeding them left the scene.

They cuddled so closely, I couldn't focus the camera on them!

jerseyonbear · 07-07-2005, 12:06 AM

50 years of stays on Bear Island and never a duck itch. Will be there soon with Grandchildren who love the water for a few weeks. Any suggestions except not to feed the ducks?

Lady Di · 07-07-2005, 12:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jerseyonbear

50 years of stays on Bear Island and never a duck itch. Will be there soon with Grandchildren who love the water for a few weeks. Any suggestions except not to feed the ducks?

I have heard that Vicks vaporub will help before swimming.....and an immediate shower and vigorous towel rubbing after, will help.

NOthing would keep me out of the lake......so I would be prepared. Benadryl cream.....baking soda baths......

I would treat it the same as "sea lice" bites, here in Florida. They are really stings from Jelly Fish larvae. But, the feeling is the same. Big, itchy welts.

I never had them, either, when we lived there. I hope the little ones can enjoy without being miserable.

Rattlesnake Gal · 07-07-2005, 07:33 AM

Preventive measures can be taken to either reduce exposure or attempt to prevent the penetration. Swimming rather than playing or wading in shallow water will reduce exposure. If swimmer’s itch is known to be present, avoid swimming when winds are likely to be carrying cercariae into the beach. Swim offshore if possible. Brisk and vigorous toweling immediately after leaving the water can crush the cercariae before they can penetrate the skin. Some recreationists have noted that some sunscreens and lotions reduce the infections, and a professional aquatic biologist reports applying a waterproof sunscreen before swimming has personally been successful to prevent swimmer's itch.

Lakegeezer · 07-08-2005, 11:26 AM

One of our guests got the itch last weekend - is there any quick fix to getting rid of it?

sum-r breeze · 07-08-2005, 09:43 PM

We had some itch from the weekend of 6/25 . We read the posts about toweling off and it worked GREAT! None to report over the three day weekend of the 4th

Stay well, Wave to me I'll wave back!
The Breeze

sum-r breeze · 07-08-2005, 09:50 PM

LG,
Sorry about not answering your question about treatment once you have it.
Benadryl or a like kind of antihistamine(sp?)seem to help with the itch.
The bumps usually go away in a couple of days. Some real specific info is listed earlier in this thread. Good Luck and DON'T SCRATCH!

The Breeze

KTO · 07-11-2005, 12:21 AM

Is it just more or does duck itch seem to be much worse than usual? I've been loaded and even covering myself in the usual sun screen doesn't seem to block it. I've been getting it at the raft (about 6 ft deep) and at the end of the dock (about 12 feet deep) and its usually fairly uncommon to see it in deeper waters.

And yes, Benadryl is your BEST BET because it is gone within 30 mins. and you don't notice you have the itch again, unless you get new ones. The pill though, I don't know how the cream works, but taking one allergy pill makes it better in a few minutes.

Yes Tor · 07-12-2005, 04:57 PM

A few years ago my wife and daughter got a bad case of duck itch in Wolfeboro Bay. My wife had no idea what it was, but I did supect duck itch. She is a nurse and would not believe me. Anyway she thought they had chicken pox and went to the emergency room at Huggins Hospital. No one there was able to diagnose this and even went so far as to take expensive blood tests. I figured it out when I got home to my computer the next week. I was shocked that no one at a lakeside hospital in summer could figure out what this was. Truly amazing. It was a miserable itchy week for the girls and a little help would have gone a long way.

I know this thread crops up every year, but it is a good one and the advice here could salvage a vacation!

gravy boat · 07-12-2005, 08:56 PM

Well said. The best way to reduce duck itch is to not feed the ducks -- no matter how cute they may be. ;-)

Gravy

NHKathy · 07-30-2005, 08:21 PM

My husband & I were up at our cottage in Moultonborough this past week. We were in the water everyday at some point or another
- NO DUCK ITCH!

I was VERY apprehensive about going in the water because of this thread and all the cases written about. So, as I read to do :I put on Sunblock(which was normal anyway); then after exiting the water, I immediately toweld off by rubbing dry; then made sure to shower not too long after being in the water; finally we made sure to wash out our suits every day.

Our vote is: Either these preventitive measures worked or it's an allergy thing.

P.S. - Do ducks get duck-itch ?

KonaChick · 07-31-2005, 11:19 AM

Your measures worked I'm assuming because after a few bad days with duck itch my extended family and I did the exact same thing you were doing. The more diligent we were about rinsing and toweling off the less duck itch spots we had. Another thing I noticed is that it seemed to be worse after a few days of humidity and no wind. Once we had a few days of brisk wind in our cove it seemed to get better..don't know if this has any bearing on it at all, just an observation. Glad your measures worked! I had several spots myself that itched like crazy but thankfully went away w/in 2 days. I asked the emergency room nurse (long story..hubby trying to get off boat quickly during one of those violent thunderstorms a few weeks ago..his head met up with the dock in an unfortunate way!!! only 4 stitches though! ) what was the best thing for this darned duck itch and she said Benadryl plus a cortisone based cream.

06-30-2005, 02:17 PM	#1
cabinfever Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 35 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Pine Island Duck Itch Yep, got swimmer's itch on Pine Island, too....

06-30-2005, 03:46 PM	#2
wildwoodfam Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: North Andover, MA & summers up at the BIG lake Posts: 285 Thanks: 5 Thanked 3 Times in 3 Posts	Guess we are lucky! 30 years never one case of the itch for any of the family members! Being on an island should protect you as the currents and winds push the waters around and carry the parasites away - or so we figured. The Bear Island cases are peculiar indeed. Which side of the island were you swimming off when you developed the itch? Like I said - 30 years of lake loving and never an itch - now poison ivy is a whole other story!!!! OUCH!

06-30-2005, 09:03 PM	#5
gravy boat Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Gilford year round, West Alton summers Posts: 595 Thanks: 601 Thanked 203 Times in 102 Posts	Dreaded Duck Itch I am fortunate...haven't had it yet. My husband got a case of it last summer. Personally, I swear by the following: 1. use as much sunblock as you want, but right before going into the water, slather on oil -- suntan oil with sunblock if you need it. But the point is, don't be shy with oiling up. 2. towel off IMMEDIATELY after getting out of the water. 3. don't feed the ducks where you typically swim and don't swim in areas that are frequented by ducks. That's it. Simple. And it's worked. I've never had duck itch. Although I've probably just jinxed myself Gravy

07-01-2005, 08:55 AM	#6
SIKSUKR Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 5,075 Thanks: 215 Thanked 903 Times in 509 Posts	I think that some people are allergic to it and others are not.I am constantly wet from being on the PWC,never towel off,swim in every area of the lake and have never had a hint of a reaction in 25 years here.Oh boy,now I did it.I can feel myself getting itchy as I write this. SS __________________ SIKSUKR

07-06-2005, 01:14 PM	#9
Lakewinniboater Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Westford, MA and Alton Bay, NH Posts: 225 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	hhhhmmmm I am thinking it might be an allergy thing. I have never gotten it and I frequent many of the sandbars, islands and out and about on our PWC. __________________ Wendy "Wasn't Me!"

06-30-2005, 04:43 PM	#3
KonaChick Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 518 Thanks: 19 Thanked 62 Times in 15 Posts	We look over at Bear Island from Cooks Point area

06-30-2005, 07:12 PM	#4
LakeLackey Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Posts: 8 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	East side of BI between Pine Is and camps, looking at Moultonborough.

07-01-2005, 09:16 AM	#7
Zee Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Union Wharf, Tuftonboro Posts: 173 Thanks: 0 Thanked 5 Times in 1 Post	I too have had duck itch each summer for the past five years. I swim every weekend and have found that when I get it is when I have been nearest the shore where it is rocky. I have never gotten it when swimming out from the shore or off a boat. It is my understanding that the parasite clings to rocks. I am very susceptible to it although my husband has never had a problem with it and we swim in the same areas. Then again he doesn't get affected by poison ivy either.

07-01-2005, 05:32 PM	#8
Bear Islander Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Bear Island Posts: 1,764 Thanks: 32 Thanked 441 Times in 207 Posts	Twenty years on Bear Island near Pine and never a case of duck itch. In the last few days 3 out of 4 family members have it bad, The 4th never went in the water. I think it is especially bad this year.

07-06-2005, 06:22 PM	#11
ApS Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Florida (Sebring & Keys), Wolfeboro Posts: 5,971 Thanks: 2,244 Thanked 783 Times in 559 Posts	These ducks swam over to me when a nearby boat that was feeding them left the scene. They cuddled so closely, I couldn't focus the camera on them! __________________ Is it "Common Sense" isn't. Last edited by ApS; 12-21-2005 at 11:03 AM.

07-07-2005, 12:06 AM	#12
jerseyonbear Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 97 Thanks: 96 Thanked 7 Times in 6 Posts	50 years of stays on Bear Island and never a duck itch. Will be there soon with Grandchildren who love the water for a few weeks. Any suggestions except not to feed the ducks?

07-07-2005, 07:33 AM	#14
Rattlesnake Gal Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Central NH Posts: 5,253 Blog Entries: 1 Thanks: 1,455 Thanked 1,357 Times in 476 Posts	Try These Measures Preventive measures can be taken to either reduce exposure or attempt to prevent the penetration. Swimming rather than playing or wading in shallow water will reduce exposure. If swimmer’s itch is known to be present, avoid swimming when winds are likely to be carrying cercariae into the beach. Swim offshore if possible. Brisk and vigorous toweling immediately after leaving the water can crush the cercariae before they can penetrate the skin. Some recreationists have noted that some sunscreens and lotions reduce the infections, and a professional aquatic biologist reports applying a waterproof sunscreen before swimming has personally been successful to prevent swimmer's itch.

07-08-2005, 11:26 AM	#15
Lakegeezer Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Moultonboro, NH Posts: 1,680 Blog Entries: 1 Thanks: 355 Thanked 640 Times in 291 Posts	Getting rid of the itch One of our guests got the itch last weekend - is there any quick fix to getting rid of it? __________________ -lg

07-08-2005, 09:43 PM	#16
sum-r breeze Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Burlington Ma / Laconia NH Posts: 396 Thanks: 155 Thanked 201 Times in 97 Posts	Itch We had some itch from the weekend of 6/25 . We read the posts about toweling off and it worked GREAT! None to report over the three day weekend of the 4th Stay well, Wave to me I'll wave back! The Breeze

07-08-2005, 09:50 PM	#17
sum-r breeze Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Burlington Ma / Laconia NH Posts: 396 Thanks: 155 Thanked 201 Times in 97 Posts	check threads LG, Sorry about not answering your question about treatment once you have it. Benadryl or a like kind of antihistamine(sp?)seem to help with the itch. The bumps usually go away in a couple of days. Some real specific info is listed earlier in this thread. Good Luck and DON'T SCRATCH! The Breeze

07-11-2005, 12:21 AM	#18
KTO Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Meredith, NH Posts: 391 Thanks: 30 Thanked 117 Times in 26 Posts	Worse this season? Is it just more or does duck itch seem to be much worse than usual? I've been loaded and even covering myself in the usual sun screen doesn't seem to block it. I've been getting it at the raft (about 6 ft deep) and at the end of the dock (about 12 feet deep) and its usually fairly uncommon to see it in deeper waters. And yes, Benadryl is your BEST BET because it is gone within 30 mins. and you don't notice you have the itch again, unless you get new ones. The pill though, I don't know how the cream works, but taking one allergy pill makes it better in a few minutes.

07-12-2005, 04:57 PM	#19
Yes Tor Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Baltimore, MD Posts: 15 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Duck itch misdiagnosed A few years ago my wife and daughter got a bad case of duck itch in Wolfeboro Bay. My wife had no idea what it was, but I did supect duck itch. She is a nurse and would not believe me. Anyway she thought they had chicken pox and went to the emergency room at Huggins Hospital. No one there was able to diagnose this and even went so far as to take expensive blood tests. I figured it out when I got home to my computer the next week. I was shocked that no one at a lakeside hospital in summer could figure out what this was. Truly amazing. It was a miserable itchy week for the girls and a little help would have gone a long way. I know this thread crops up every year, but it is a good one and the advice here could salvage a vacation!

07-12-2005, 08:56 PM	#20
gravy boat Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Gilford year round, West Alton summers Posts: 595 Thanks: 601 Thanked 203 Times in 102 Posts	UPthe.... Well said. The best way to reduce duck itch is to not feed the ducks -- no matter how cute they may be. ;-) Gravy

07-30-2005, 08:21 PM	#21
NHKathy Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Moultonborough when I can / RI Posts: 699 Thanks: 180 Thanked 38 Times in 22 Posts	Duck Itch Free - Thank God ! My husband & I were up at our cottage in Moultonborough this past week. We were in the water everyday at some point or another - NO DUCK ITCH! I was VERY apprehensive about going in the water because of this thread and all the cases written about. So, as I read to do :I put on Sunblock(which was normal anyway); then after exiting the water, I immediately toweld off by rubbing dry; then made sure to shower not too long after being in the water; finally we made sure to wash out our suits every day. Our vote is: Either these preventitive measures worked or it's an allergy thing. P.S. - Do ducks get duck-itch ?

07-31-2005, 11:19 AM	#22
KonaChick Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 518 Thanks: 19 Thanked 62 Times in 15 Posts	Your measures worked I'm assuming because after a few bad days with duck itch my extended family and I did the exact same thing you were doing. The more diligent we were about rinsing and toweling off the less duck itch spots we had. Another thing I noticed is that it seemed to be worse after a few days of humidity and no wind. Once we had a few days of brisk wind in our cove it seemed to get better..don't know if this has any bearing on it at all, just an observation. Glad your measures worked! I had several spots myself that itched like crazy but thankfully went away w/in 2 days. I asked the emergency room nurse (long story..hubby trying to get off boat quickly during one of those violent thunderstorms a few weeks ago..his head met up with the dock in an unfortunate way!!! only 4 stitches though! ) what was the best thing for this darned duck itch and she said Benadryl plus a cortisone based cream.

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