Pseudomonas Folliculitis

What is Pseudomonas Folliculitis?

This is a skin disorder that causes inflammation of your hair follicles. The follicle is a small pouch within your skin from which tiny hair grown and can appear anywhere on your body that hair grows. The only two places that you cannot get this skin condition are on the soles of your feet and the palms of your hands. It is also referred to as hot tub rash, hot tub folliculitis or folliculitis. It can affect people of all ages, gender, or race. If you have a history of rash infections, have diabetes, or have open sores or cuts you are more at risk for getting pseudomonas folliculitis.

Pseudomonas Folliculitis Symptoms

• Having itchy spots on your skin that will become a red bumpy rash.
• The rash can be worse on the areas that you had covered with a swimsuit that held the contaminated water against the skin.
• Around the hair follicles there are blisters that are pus-filled.

Usually these symptoms will appear within twelve to twenty-four hours but can be as short as eight hours or as long as five days after being infected. Although it can affect any part of your body that has hair, this pseudomonas folliculitis will usually appear on your hips, buttocks, or legs.

Causes

Pseudomonas folliculitis is caused by the germ called Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which is found in humid, hot environments. Many times a person will develop this skin condition after spending some time in improperly cleaned hot tubs or spas or the pH levels and chlorine levels are not regulated. Chlorine levels need to be regulated because chlorine breaks down faster in warm water than in cooler pool water and the proper level of chlorine is needed to kill the germs. You can also contact this germ if you are going swimming in a lake that is contaminated or a pool that is not maintained correctly. The germ can also be found in soil. It cannot be seen with the naked eye because it is microscopic.

Treatment

Normally pseudomonas folliculitis will heal on its own but if it is itchy you can use a topical cream to help control it. If it is a severe case you may have to see your physician to get an oral antibiotic to help clear up the infection. If the skin condition is very itchy in addition to the topical cream you can also take a bath with oatmeal in it. You should also make sure that two times a day you wash the areas gently using antibacterial soap. Make sure that each time you wash the area you use a clean wash cloth so you do not spread the skin condition.

There are also things that you can do to protect yourself and your family from contacting the germ that cause pseudomonas folliculitis such as:

• When you get out of the water, whether it is the pool, lake, hot tub, etc, you need to remove your swimsuit and shower with soap.
• Make sure that you rinse out your swimsuit immediately to make sure if the germs are there that you remove them.
• Before you get in the pool or hot tub try to find out if the disinfectant that is used is checked at least two times a day to make sure that the levels are correct. You also want to make sure that the pH levels are also checked at the same time. If this is not done there is a chance that you could become infected with pseudomonas folliculitis.
• At home use the pool test strips to check your hot tub or pool to make sure that there is adequate levels of disinfectant.

Pseudomonas Folliculitis Pictures

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