Of course, not too often, but still it happens that there are such unusual people who are allergic to the sea. Against this background, it is important to be aware of the symptoms that can appear when in any contact with sea water, in addition, you should know how you can help the body with this seemingly non-standard type of allergy. Such intolerance to sea water can occur on the soil of flowering algae or trace elements, as well as sea salt, they can cause an appropriate reaction of the body.
Signs of an Allergy to Sea Water
During contact with sea water, a rash may be localized on a person’s body, which usually appears on the hands, neck, stomach or knees. This rash, among other things, is still able to be accompanied by urticaria, although in some cases it passes independently and separately from it. The main difference between urticaria and rash is that the first is accompanied by redness with lighter centers of localization. Also on its basis there is a very severe itching and unpleasant burning sensation. This is an allergy to the sea.
If there are no applicable treatment measures, then the area that is affected by the rash begins to grow and spread. Urticaria is also able to be accompanied by the manifestation of blisters, which are of different sizes, from small millimeter to large, reaching several tens of centimeters. For this reason, for any occurrence of an allergy to the salt sea, you should immediately contact a doctor who will have to choose the right treatment correctly.
What is the difference from other types of allergies?
It should be said that this type of allergic reaction is not accompanied by coughing or sneezing and neither temperature nor swelling is typical for it. The only thing that should be emphasized is that at the moment there is no data on anaphylactic shock. An allergy to sea salt water can go away on its own in just a few hours, but in any case, this is not at all a reason for practicing self-medication, but you should always consult a specialist. It is important to note that such an allergy can be aggravated by direct interaction of the body with the sun's rays.
Causes of an allergic reaction to salt water
According to many doctors, an allergy to the sea can be caused by extremely weak human immunity. People who have some problems in the proper functioning and functioning of the adrenal glands, liver, in general, all those organs that must be responsible for processing any incoming substances into the human body are most exposed to it.
In addition to the listed health problems, an allergic reaction can also occur due to other types of pathogens, such as, for example:
- water temperature, as a rule, urticaria mainly occurs due to contact with cold water;
- significant salt content in water, which, incidentally, is characteristic of our Black Sea;
- flowering period of various marine plants and algae;
- poisons that are secreted by jellyfish;
- any industrial waste that falls into seawater.
Seawater Allergy Treatment
At the moment, this type of allergic reaction of the body has not yet been fully studied, for this reason there are no unambiguous treatment methods for absolutely any of its manifestations. It is obvious that people who are prone to manifesting a reaction to sea water have a significant amount of histamine in their bodies, as well as immunoglobulin “E”. That is precisely why specialists prescribe drugs that lower their level in people. Medical prescriptions for allergies, as a rule, include regular creams, and taking various pills.
Determine the reason
But before proceeding with the treatment of allergies at sea (photo is presented below), it is still necessary to establish the cause of a specific pathogen. An allergic reaction may occur due to swimming in the sea in cold water, in this case it will be logical to dip into only warm or at least slightly warmed water bodies. If a reaction constantly arises to the level of salt content in water, then most likely you will have to choose a resort where there will be practically no such trace element. In addition, during the flowering period of all kinds of marine plants, it is also not recommended to plan your vacation.
Could there be an allergy to the sea? As we have already figured out, maybe.
Specialists
Nevertheless, despite the insufficient study of the reaction of some people to sea water, there is still the appearance of narrow-profile specialists in medicine who are most able to determine the diagnosis of the disease and, accordingly, prescribe the necessary, possibly even complex, treatment. Of course, we are talking about an allergist. It happens that he may need the help of other colleagues, such as, for example, a dermatologist or a gastroenterologist, because against the background of any allergic reactions, there is most likely a violation of any other organs in the activity of the human body.
Taking antihistamines
As a treatment for allergies at sea, it should also be noted that the intervals between immersion in salt water during the rest should be quite long, against the background of this, taking antihistamines is also extremely important. As a rule, it is better to give preference to medicines in the form of gels, ointments and various creams. Thanks to their use, histamine production will be blocked, which will allow you to enjoy your vacation to the fullest without any allergic force majeure.
Antiallergic drugs prescribed by doctors carry out the blocking of special receptors in the human body that are caused by the activity of the so-called histamine. This is a special substance, which is a chemical biologically active element. In those situations when its effect is significantly enhanced, allergic reactions develop. When the effects of histamine are weakened by the influence of certain medications, the effect and manifestation of allergies also become not so pronounced, as a result of which it completely disappears. Against the background of intolerance reactions of foreign elements, histamine receptor blockers “H1” are widely used.
What else to treat an allergy to salt water in the sea.
Vitamins
In addition to antihistamines, in the role of internal therapeutic agents, agents that act as antioxidants, as well as vitamins of the B, C, and E groups, are perfect.
Of course, any use of medicines should be strictly controlled by the attending specialist. As a rule, the doctor selects the most effective drug exclusively after the study of the body. After all, it is immediately unknown whether a person has an allergy to water or not. It is likely that one or another negative reaction appears due to the influence of other negative factors.
Most often, an allergy to the sea on the legs manifests itself in the form of urticaria.
Symptoms of an allergic reaction
The most common symptoms of an allergy to seawater are usually the following:
- sometimes there is a swelling of the lips;
- nausea, even vomiting and diarrhea;
- dizziness;
- slight tingling on the tongue;
- abdominal cramps.
Very rare cases when an allergy was accompanied in people by fainting or bouts of confusion.
Features of an allergy to sea water
If tourists having a rest on the sea suddenly show a rash, not everyone will begin to compare this reaction of the body with swimming in sea water. Often, people can name their food or the presence of dust in a hotel room, as well as flowering exotic plants, as reasons. Therefore, it is necessary to know how to distinguish one or another type of allergic reaction, which is quite simple to make regarding the intolerance of marine elements, here are the main differences:
- against the background of an allergy to sea water, there are no any standard symptoms characteristic of other types of reactions, except for redness;
- there is a practical impossibility of anaphylactic shock ;
- if you are allergic to salt water in the sea (there is a photo), there is no respiratory depression, the attacks of which can sometimes torment patients suffering from a response to dust or other relevant pathogen substances.
The main feature of this type of allergy is that, due to the insufficient study of this type of pathology, drugs that would guarantee a complete cure for it have not yet been developed.
Thus, to the question of whether water is capable of causing an allergic reaction, unfortunately, any specialist will respond positively. This is especially true in conditions of severe pollution of the human environment, and during a prolonged stay in the sun, as well as other all sorts of factors that will contribute to the emergence of such a reaction to the sea. But this does not mean at all that it is impossible to plan a vacation on the warm southern shores, rather, on the contrary, any person will have a good time to relax, just pay attention to the features of your body and take into account all the factors that will help reduce the risk of allergies at sea. In a child, it can manifest itself especially strongly.
Conclusion
Allergists and dermatologists around the world advise you to opt for such vacation spots, where few people rest on the beach, and there are no seaports. You should also select the season for swimming in the sea when the water has warmed up well, it is desirable that its temperature is at least twenty degrees. And it is important to remember that these are just recommendations aimed at reducing the risk of allergies, because, first of all, it is necessary to establish the cause of the disease by a specialist in order not to complicate it even more.