Hives from Swimming???

It still happens to me. Not just when I swim, but when i get wet at all! It doesn't bother me either.. It is nothing I would worry about too much. I talked to my doctor, and he said it could be a mild allergy to water. My big brother gets them too, from all the bleach in his diet.

Hi H.. I have a six year old girl and three year old boy and the same happened to them hives all over their bodies everytime we went swimming, I later found out my friends two boys had the same reaction. I did some eliminating of things and started with the sunscreen, and that is what it was, The ssunscreen. We used the spray sunscreen from coppertone SPF 70and also spf 50 and they both had the same reaction the kids skin broke out in hives and a rash, well I stopped using that specific sunscreen and went back to the lotion suncreen and the hives dissapeared and we can ejoy the water again
My friend did the same and had the same results.
That specific sunscreen is very high in alcohol and very strong, even the one that is for children
Try it and see
Good Luck

I'd suggest getting a doctor's opinion on it. When I was younger, my mom used to get hives on her legs whenever we went to the beach swimming. She lived with it for a couple of years, figuring it was her sensitive skin reacting to the sun and salt. But eventually she asked her doctor, and it turned out to be a type of fungal infection (from something at the beach) and it only showed up when irritated by the sun exposure. If the regular doc can't offer any good suggestions, get an authorization to see a dermatologist. Have fun with your girls!

Does this happen in both indoor and outdoor pools? The reason I ask is that I too have the same issue, but it is when I am outside swimming. For some reason the chlorine in pools and the sun are not a good mix for me. I have eczema and allergies that I have lived with my entire 45 years of life. My skin is very sensitive to everything. This is just something that I have learned to live with. As long as she is not scratching a lot, I wouldn't worry about it.

My kids get hives too. My six year old boy just got done with an outbreak that lasted a month! He got it on vacation and we had been swimming and going in the spa a lot. We thought it might be an allergy this time, but it was eczema. We went to the doctor when we got home and he said eczema needs a lot of moisture and he gave us a bunch of creams, etc. We started putting baby oil (or a really moisturizing lotion) on him, followed by a linament he prescribed for us, a 1% cortisone on the itchy areas, and an antibacterial cream on the places that were open wounds (from the scratching). We did all this every morning and after baths at night. Both my boy and my three year old girl have gotten eczema before, sometimes just dry spots, sometimes hives that go away quickly. Benedryl cream works usually, but not for this last outbreak. It is hereditary; my husband takes Allegra every day to control his hives or he would break out every day. His sisters get them too. Hives can be activated by stress, and my boy gets anxiety anticipating different events, so the vacation could have triggered it for him this time, plus all the swimming and spa chemicals that dry out your skin. Our doctor says just to keep our kids moisturized every day. Hope this helps you.

There could be a microorganism she is allergic to. also, a thought, does she get prickly heat? I get that more when swimming I think because I am more in the sun. but I can get it when outside and sweaty like on a hike too. It mostly starts on my upper arms and thighs. it looks like a rash and sometimes fela a bit raised and itchy. I goes away after a shower and drinkin fresh water but comes back faster if I am ot in the sun soon after.

I went thru a time I did the same thing when I was a ttl. The doctor said it was an allergic reaction the the high clorine contents in swimming pools and hot tubss. You may want to take you your ped about it and have him look

P.

Hi H.,

Does your daughter wear any type of sunscreen when she goes out swimming???? That could be your problem. My daughter is very allergic to any/all sunscreen (she's a teenager now and still cannot wear any, even that made for babies!). Its a thought! Good luck!

My step-mother gets these too, has all her life. She says she is allergic to the sun. I don't know if there is a test for this or not. I didn't even know you couldn be allergic to the sun until she told me this.

Hi- I am a swim coach and several of my girls including myself get the same thing I call it chlorine burn but what it really is a reaction to the PH levels in the water that is why it doesn't matter the type of chemical. It doesn't hurt her- her skin is just more sensitive to the chemicals. Make sure she showers before she gets in and as soon as she is done swimming (don't wait until she gets home) and put lotion on and that will help. Here are also special shampoos and soaps made for swimming you can buy that are effective and helpful. Start with Paul Mitchell.

hyland's homeopathics for hives are really great. maybe she could try taking these before swimming. is it possible the water is making her blotchy because her skin is overly dry? if it is hives, i'd try the homeopathics before swimming, maybe they'd help avoid them.

My oldest is eleven and gets the same thing. I asked her about it and she told me that it was from the cold water. She told me she gats them whenever she is in cold water, or get cold water on herself. I have not been able to tell what the case is, so I am looking forward to reading what is to be said. Thank you for your question.

That is so wierd, but-also facinating to me because I used to do the same thing when I was a kid!!!! You are the first person in all my 41 years that has dealt with the same issue I had growing up. EVERYTIME I went in the water, I would do the same thing. I hated to swim because of it. I think it lasted from about 8 to 15. And then, poof, no reaction. I do not know what it is, or what causes it, but I thought I would share with you what I went through. I really think it will go away. Unless it bothers her...mine didn't bother me, I was just embarrassed. Mostly when I turned around 13. Hopefully she is okay with it for now, but if it continues when she is older, it may become embarassing and you may just have to help her thru it...?
Good luck....
LisaT

My daughter gets these as well. She has very sensitive skin and so I am assuming that is why it happens. I have asked the doctor and she said that that is probably it. It doesn't bother her, no itching, etc. and goes away in a few hours so we really don't worry about it. My daughter is 11 and doesn't get embarrassed about it, all her friends know about it so no problems there.
Good Luck -
Tam

You might want to have her shower when she gets out of the water, it helps me and might rinse off whatever is causing the rash.

Wow, I too had that as a kid! I have bad summer grass allergies and found that when I was having a flare up, I would get hives whether I was in a pool or the shower. I am currently having a bad summer and when I set up my daughter's kiddie pool the other day, I got hives on my inner arms (I was having a REALLY bad allergy day.) You may want to consider taking your daughter to an allergist and perhaps start her on annual shots if the allergies are bad enough.

Holly,
I used to get hives from swimming as well. I also would get them after taking a bath. They didn't bother me much. I don't get them as much any more. I am 32. I also get them after I have gone running or got my heart rate up. I think it is from sensitive skin, but that is just a guess. I never talked to a doctor about it and now like I said I don't get them nearly as much as I used to. Hope that helps.

S.

It could be clogged skin pores. Take her to a dermotologist just to make sure.

My daughter gets a rash when she goes swimming. I just have her rinse really well and wash off with a gentle soap, like no more tears. Then we use johnson's lotion and by the time we leave the pool, her skin has calmed down. I think it is the chlorine.

Does it ever happen when she is in the tub? My friend used to be allergic to... water! It wasn't bad unless she was in it for extended periods of time.

could she have dry skin? that might be part of it