Your skin can be attacked by bacteria in just 10 minutes of swimming in the sea

One study found that just ten minutes in the ocean, your skin may be covered by a layer of bacteria that live in the sea, which can cause infection.

A group of scientists came to the beach in California, USA and conducted research on several seafarers who regularly swim without using sunscreen.

After taking gauze from the participants' skin before and after swimming, the team found a common oceanic bacterium called Vibrio , often found in salt water. Although Vibrio is not necessarily bad, some strains can cause illness and increase the risk of infection by breaking down the delicate microflora of your skin.

Picture 1 of Your skin can be attacked by bacteria in just 10 minutes of swimming in the sea

Sea swimmers are more likely to suffer from stomach pain and ear infections than others.

Researchers at the University of California noted that swimmers are more likely to suffer from stomach pain and ear infections than others. Although most marine infections are caused by bacteria entering the body. The team suspects that ocean bacteria can generally cause more disease through their effects on the skin microbiota.

Before swimming, 9 volunteers took a skin swab from the calf and went swimming for ten minutes. These people should not bathe for 12 hours, or use antibiotics for six months. After returning and completely dry, their skin flakes up again. A day later, they found the common marine living bacteria called Vibrio.

"Although many Vibrio bacteria do not cause illness, they actually recover on the skin after swimming," said Marisa Hayman Nielsen, a graduate student at the University of California.

Some Vibrio species are responsible for diseases such as cholera, or skin infections, especially in people with weak immune systems.

"Our data demonstrate for the first time that exposure to seawater can alter the diversity and microbiological composition of human skin ," said lead author Marisa Hayman Nielsen, a graduate student. California, Irvine said.

Recent studies show that human skin microbiome plays an important role in immune system function. A healthy microbiome protects us from invasion and infection by pathogenic bacteria. However, after bathing in the sea, the microbiome disappeared and were replaced by a strain of bacteria called Vibro, which posed a risk to the body.

The advice of scientists is that before bathing, we should use sunscreen and immediately shower after swimming to have a healthier skin .

Update 02 July 2019
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