What to Do if Stung by a Jellyfish
If y'all're headed to the embankment this summertime, one question that'due south surprisingly difficult to answer is how to deal with a jellyfish sting. Allow's say you get in the water and you get stung: it tin can injure for certain, but could information technology be life-threatening? And what nigh that longstanding advice that peeing on a jellyfish sting will help ease the hurting and make information technology heal faster. Could something that nasty actually work? Read on to larn whether there'south any truth to this advice, plus what you should (and shouldn't) practise if you're stung by a jellyfish.
How likely are you to get a jellyfish sting?
At that place'south a lot we notwithstanding don't know nearly jellyfish and a sea of misconceptions to address. "People see jellyfish and automatically think they're venomous," Francis Fifty. Counselman, MD, chair of emergency medicine at Eastern Virginia Medical School, tells Health. But out of some x thousand jellyfish species, but i% actually pose a threat to humans. The well-nigh notorious of these include the lion'southward mane, Portugese man-of-state of war, sea nettle, and box jellyfish.
Unwanted interactions with jellyfish are adequately common. There are an estimated 150 million jellyfish stings around the world each year, according to a 2016 review in Marine Drugs. Typically, the result is a mild reaction that's easy to treat at home.
However, in rare cases, jellyfish stings can exist life-threatening. There's a common misconception that the most dangerous species similar the box jellyfish are only plant in Commonwealth of australia or the Philippines. Merely reports of serious reactions have popped upwards effectually the earth, including in Puerto Rico, Hawaii, and Florida, Isabel M. Algaze-Gonzalez, MD, an emergency medicine specialist and assistant clinical professor at Academy of California Irvine, tells Health.
When you castor up against one of these sea creatures or even disrupt one that'due south done up on shore, kinetic energy triggers their tentacles to release venom from thousands of tiny spinous stingers called nematocysts. "They're like a jump mechanism within a piffling egg, and whatever time yous take something that makes them pop open—which is usually movement—they'll sting you," Dr. Algaze-Gonzalez explains.
The symptoms that follow—a sudden burning pain, itchiness, and sometimes a tentacle-shaped red or purplish rash—telephone call for quick thinking. But many of united states of america have no thought what to do.
Should you pee on a jellyfish sting?
The elementary reply is no. "At that place is no scientific prove whatsoever to support urinating on a jellyfish sting," confirms Dr. Counselman.
So why do people believe this? The Goggle box prove Friends is partially to arraign, he says. In the first episode of season four, "The Ane With the Jellyfish," Joey and Chandler convince Monica that urinating on a particularly painful sting on her pes could help make the pain go abroad. According to them, it works. Simply a 1990s sitcom isn't the best source of medical advice.
In reality, "studies have shown that pee doesn't practise any harm or good, and it's icky," says Dr. Algaze-Gonzalez. Urea, a compound found in urine, could perchance assist un-stick tentacles by dissolving the sticky material they use to latch on. Ordinarily, though, it'southward not concentrated enough in your urine to have this effect.
Worse yet, using your own fluids could end upward causing more pain past disrupting stingers' delicate chemical balance and triggering them to burn.
Instead of needlessly embarrassing yourself or offending fellow beach-goers, opt for tried-and-true remedies that are much more sanitary and backed by enquiry.
How to care for a jellyfish sting
First, make sure yous're not dealing with a full-blown medical emergency. Pain, itchiness, and a rash where you were stung are all normal signs of a mild, localized reaction. However, "if you start to have systemic symptoms, y'all really demand to go to the ER to get checked out," says Dr. Counselman.
- Stomach pain
- Nausea and vomiting
- Headache
- Weakness
- Muscle pain or spasms
- Drowsiness, confusion, or fainting
- Difficulty breathing or swallowing
- Racing heartbeat or palpitations
- Baking skin
If you're experiencing whatever of the above, telephone call 911 or accept someone drive you to the closest emergency department. Otherwise, y'all can unremarkably self-treat a jellyfish sting. Here's what to do:
Get out of the water and remove the stingers
Your first impulse is likely to douse your skin in freshwater, rub at information technology with a towel, or scratch away at stingers. Don't! All of the above would just release more venom due to movement, says Dr. Algaze-Gonzalez. Instead, protect your fingers with something thick like a wetsuit and delicately pluck off any remaining stingers or pieces of tentacle, she advises.
Pour vinegar over the sting site
The best treatment depends on what type of jellyfish stung you, and fifty-fifty and then, researchers are withal sorting out the details. But if y'all have some vinegar nearby, dousing your pare with it tin can often finer deactivate stingers, says Dr. Algaze-Gonzalez. If you're far from civilization, rinsing off with saltwater is your adjacent best option.
Utilise hot water
Side by side, soak your skin in water that's as hot as you tin tolerate or hop in the shower for xxx minutes or so. Since venom is labile (meaning it breaks down in heat), this can help terminate the stinging, says Dr. Counselman.
Relieve pain and swelling with OTC medications
The vast majority of jellyfish stings tin can be treated with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) like Ibuprofen (Advil) or Aleve (naproxen) and hydrocortisone cream, says Dr. Counselman. But make sure to follow the label instructions.
When to see a doctor for a jellyfish sting
In about cases, there'southward no need to visit a health care provider for a jellyfish sting. Your symptoms should fade within a few hours, with a rash lingering no longer than 2 weeks, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
Simply if y'all develop signs of a serious reaction, experience intense pain that doesn't become abroad, or take been stung in the center, seek medical attention immediately. You may need additional intendance such equally medication for astringent pain, antivenin to neutralize the venom, or an antihistamine for an allergic reaction.
How to avoid a jellyfish sting
The best treatment for jellyfish stings is to preclude them altogether by staying out of the h2o when they're around, says Dr. Algaze-Gonzalez. Since the type of jellyfish and ideal handling tin vary so much, ask a lifeguard or local guide to share their insight before going for a swim.
If you know you're headed for risky territory and can't help but take a dip, wear a protective suit and bring along a spray bottle filled with vinegar (but continue it cool since hot vinegar could burn your peel), suggests Dr. Algaze-Gonzalez.
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Source: https://www.health.com/mind-body/jellyfish-sting-treatment
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