Swimming triggers a rash - wwyd

[Drame]

DS is 4 and has mild eczema. In winter you wouldn’t even know he has it as it never flares up but in summer it flares up occasionally and I need to use a mild steroid to keep his skin in good condition.

he’s recently started swimming lessons and has come out in a rash after each one. It’s a mild rash but all over his body and I have to then use steroids every week for a couple of days to make it go away.

I feel like swimming is a basic skill he should learn. He loves it and the rash doesn’t bother him. However I don’t want to have to use the steroid creams this much if it can be avoided.

Anyone have a similar situation? What did you do?

Could you use a barrier cream before the lesson?

A dose of piriton before the lesson? I'd try that and see if it helps. My son's eczema is very closely linked to allergies.

Is it the chemical they add to the pool? Could you find a pool that uses something else (eg; ozone instead of chlorine)?

Interesting about the barrier cream. I don’t know if they would allow him in the pool if he’s visibly got creams on? They ask the kids to take showers before the lesson. I will look into it.

as far as I know his eczema isn’t linked to allergies so not sure that piriton would help would it? I will look into this too.

Unfortunately this is the only pool near enough to us that we could take him to lessons weekly. It might be worth experimenting with different pools though as it would be good to get to the bottom of exactly what is causing it.

thank you for the useful suggestions

How long does it take to go away if you don’t use the steroids? If it doesn’t bother him and isn’t itchy etc then try without and see if you can get away with steroid cream every other week or not at all.

I asked the doctor and he said it was more important to lean to swim.

Can he get a full shower at the pool straight after swimming? A quick rinse in swimming costume doesn’t work for me, so I tend to avoid pools with communal shower areas if I can. Getting the pool water off the skin as thoroughly and as soon as possible definitely helps.

My child has awful eczema. Learning to swim is important but had to be managed carefully as her skin was so bad.

She only had swimming lessons in the summer when her skin was better.
She didn't do school swimming lessons as there was insufficient time to dry carefully and reapply emollients.
She did a week intensive swimming lesson which did cause eczema flare, but once under control we followed with 1 on 1 lessons so she made fast progress.
We concentrated on one stroke (backstroke) and stopped weekly lessons when she could safely complete multiple lengths. (She can also doggy paddle shorter distances).

She is not a fast or skilled swimmer, but she is safe in the water.

Now we only swim occasionally but she can still safely complete lengths on her back.

Is it happening due to the chlorine or because he's not able to properly wash the pool water off afterwards?

Thank you all for the advice. I do get him to rinse in the pool showers but I can’t properly supervise that is done thoroughly or have him strip off naked in the shower because I have 1yo DD with me and she needs constantly watched/held. I dry him and apply emollient after he has rinsed off.

what about using a wet suit that might minimise the rash

Make sure that he has washed really well and that his skin has soaked up as much water as possible before he goes in the pool so that he absorbs less of the chlorinated water during the lesson. Then make sure he washes off as well as possible after the lesson. If he can't do that at the pool, rinse him there and then get him to wash properly as soon as you get home.