South Jersey Beachgoers Beware: Dealing With Sea Lice Annoyance

This weekend, Facebook has been flooded with comments over a phenomenon that has occurred at some South Jersey beaches.

People complained of severe itching and even rashes as they exited the water.

What is causing the itch? Is this dangerous?

If you've experienced a rash and itchiness, there's a good chance they were caused by Sea lice.

I can hear you now, "Ew!" Lice?

Hold on. Although it's called Sea lice, there is no correlation between the more common head lice we've all heard of and what we're dealing with now.

First, the good news. According to WebMD the rash and itchiness may be uncomfortable, but it will usually be gone within a few days and you shouldn't have any lasting effects.

Sea lice is a term used for a type of dermatitis that is caused by the larvae of jellyfish.

The larvae are transparent and tiny. They will get trapped in your hair and your bathing suit. Oftentimes you'll get an uncomfortable rash in the groin area.

Treating sea lice is relatively easy. Healthline suggests applying 1% hydrocortisone to your rash two to three times a day.

Other things you can do include applying diluted vinegar or rubbing alcohol, applying ice packs to the rash, or taking some ibuprofen or aspirin.

The only way to truly avoid sea lice is to stay out of the water.

When you're done swimming, rinse off with seawater that you know isn't infected (fresh water will make your situation worse).