Help for "Sore Privates" After Swimming in Pool.

Hi S.

Highly recommend taking him to the pediatrician to evaluate the condition and also give him something topical for it to soothe it out or whatever they may recommend depending on the findings.... But it will be a good idea to get it evaluated...

Farid R., DC
____@____.com

Glad he is feeling better - next time try some Pink Xav (pronounced Pink salve) - found in the drugstore. It is a diaper cream - but very soothing and healing.

I just saw your request - and just had the same problem myself with my son. We have our own pool, so it was puzzling me why this just happened now. Our water was crystal clear, but read no chlorine (so I knew that wasn't the problem). It turns out we had alot of rain and the water levels turned very acidic - after I adjusted the levels he was fine. Glad everything worked out for you.

all the other mom's had some great ideas: showering instead of bath, natural cream/ oils, checking ph levels in the pool etc... but I would also cut the netting out of his bathing suits. I did that for my boys and they haven't had any irritation. I don't know why they put it there in the first place? just cut all the way around the waist and it comes right out. cut any edges that may rub , tags etc..

If he's peeing ok, and it's just irritated, try some vaseline or diaper cream. It seems to help my boys when they have discomfort in that area, sometimes it's just raw. If it gets worse you know to call the dr, but I bet it'll clear up with a little tlc.

Hi S.,

I would definitely contact your pediatrician. It could be a UTI or it could be a yeast infection. Either way, the doctor will know and can prescribe the needed treatment.

L.

Well, after reading and hearing about all the bacteria in the Phx pools that were closed down...I would probably make an appt with the dr to have him checked out. He could have a UTI or something. You are better safe then sorry! : )

I would check with the doctor - it could be a UTI - urinary tract infection. I get those sometimes when I swim in a public pool. And if it's not, the doctor could at least tell what he thinks is the problem, because they are trained to know what to look for.

It was probably the baths afterwards. If the bath had shampoo or bubble bath in it; it will cause irritation in sensitive children.

Good luck,
C. Willis
www.myhomecottagebiz.com

Have you pulled the skin back to make sure that there is nothing wrapped around it? This is pretty common, as hair, string or other objects can sometimes wrap themselves around it. Just a thought.

Did he wear a swim diaper? If so, had he ever worn one prior to this? It could be the material used in the swim diaper.

Was he wearing trunks without a diaper? The irritation could simply be from chaffing on the netting of the trunks while swimming.

Just some ideas. If it doesn't clear up within the next 24 hours, I definitely would make an appointment before the weekend. Best wishes!

I haven't had any problems with my son and swimming but I would definitely reccommend calling your Dr.'s office and asking them what you should do. That is a pretty sensative area and I wouldn't wait too long to get it looked at.

hi!
my son, 5 yrs. has had the same problem....we just make sure he rinses off right after swimming and when he bathes makes sure not to use soap in that area. We tried soaping (with baby-bath type soap)and it made it more red. The peditrician recommended a cortizone cream if it didn't go a way. the cream is just 1% cortizone over the counter. I really think that rinsing off right after the pool is the key, it worked for us! D.

my husband and I are pool care professionals and as a rule we NEVER swim in public pools - they are usually not maintained with optimal sanitary conditions - often they add way too much chlorine to combat the peeing and this forms a chlorine/ammonia combination that is bad for delicate tissue - also the pH is usually not properly maintained and if too high can cause excessive dryness or too low can cause actual chemical burns - also bathing in a tub afterwards isn't a good idea - showering is the best way to clean yourself after swimming - it may be that he picked up bacteria from unsanitary conditions and it entered his urinary tract - the best thing for that is Una de Gato - either in a pure herbal form or in a combination with other herbs designed to cleanse and support that system - if you want more information on this herb and how to get it feel free to contact me - good luck

Hi S.-
If it is still pretty sore and red now, after he is no longer swimming in the pool, it needs to be checked by the Dr. I wouldn't wait. S.

I would try putting pure, natural coconut oil on the affected area twice a day (morning/night). It is a natural anti-fungal/anti-bacterial and it has healing properties similar to that found in breastmilk. It's amazing stuff that works on a lot of skin issues! Plus, it's inexpensive and natural you can use the remainder for cooking, health, first-aid, etc. Check you local health food store.

Best,
C.

It could definitely be a UTI, but I think chlorine irritation would have been pretty temporary. It's a slim possibility, but could it be a yeast infection? It's not as common for males to get them but it's still possible if he was in a public pool and the chemicals were not at the correct levels-- especially if he sat in damp swim trunks for any period of time. I used to get yeast infections every time I went swimming in the pool at my apartment building when I was in college. Just offering another possibility. :)

S.,
Sounds like your son might have a yeast infection on his skin. They are very common in boys and girls (and adults) when they spend a lot of time in the water and then in wet bathing suits. The condition is also worsened by sweat.

You my try some monistat cream or some nystatin cream (usually the latter is by prescription).

good luck and I hope he's doing better soon.

It could possibly be a UTI and if that is the case I would suggest cranberry juice. It usually helps a lot with those. Good luck figuring it out.