Hot tub rash, or pseudomonas folliculitis, is a bacterial infection that occurs in hair follicles and is caused by pseudomonas aeruginosa. It is commonly caught in hot tubs and bathtubs and appears as small red sores that are itchy. Prevention is key, but if it does occur, it usually clears up on its own or with the use of oral antibiotics.
Hot tub rash is the common name given to an infection called pseudomonas folliculitis. This is a bacterial infestation that occurs in a person’s hair follicles. People tend to get it when bathing because the bacteria can contaminate the water and it’s especially common in warmer waters. Hot tub rash looks like a collection of small red sores and is usually very itchy. Sometimes it clears up without treatment, and in other cases antibiotics and other more stringent measures are required.
When hot tub rash first develops, people usually have inflammation and itching. After a few days, small sores develop and the itching often gets worse. The sores tend to be patchy, and sometimes these spread slightly and occur in several areas. For some people, the symptoms can be more severe and they may actually experience a slight fever and some fatigue at first.
A bacterium called pseudomonas aeruginosa is the most common cause of hot tub rashes. This type of bacteria is also found in nature and in many cases actually lives on the surface of human skin. This is how it enters the water that people use for bathing. Over time, a large accumulation of bacteria can potentially form in a bathing area and thus multiple people using the same bathing spot can become infected.
People often use additives like chlorine in their water to avoid these kinds of infections, but these chemicals don’t survive long in hotter water. This is why hot tub rash is more commonly caught in places like bathtubs and hot tubs, rather than in pools or natural bodies of water. The bacteria that causes the hot tub rash is able to survive higher levels of chlorine than many other types of bacteria, and this generally makes it more difficult for people to deal with water treatment methods.
In most cases, people don’t actually have to do anything to make their hot tub rash go away. The human body is usually able to fight off the disease-causing bacterium on its own. Sometimes people also use some home remedies to speed things up, including the use of vinegar compresses. If the disease persists, doctors may choose to prescribe oral antibiotics.
According to most experts, the best way to deal with hot tub rash is to prevent it. Generally it’s about keeping bathing areas as clean as possible. Chemical additives can also often be part of prevention, as can basic filtration of water used over a long period.
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