3 Materials Used in Treating Jellyfish Stings
Tagged Under : jellyfish stings, Tips
Jellyfish stings are painful. Especially during the first five minutes after the sting. Do jellyfish stings hurt right away? As far as I know, yes. As soon as the stings of jellyfish (nematocysts) on the tentacles activate and inject venom, you should feel it right away. I did mention about it in a previous article but just a reminder, when you get stung, immediately try to get out of the water or seek help from nearby swimmers. The sting could lead to anaphylaxis and the victim has a high chance of drowning. Being stung by a box jellyfish type is a different matter entirely as their venom can be fatal to humans. For now, let’s focus on what materials we could use in first aid for jellyfish stings.
Vinegar - Probably the most recommended material to use when treating jellyfish stings. Vinegar deactivates the nematocysts (jellyfish sting cells). Afterwards, pluck the tentacles with forceps or scrape them off with the edge of a flat object like an ID card.
Saltwater - Well, it’s still being debated whether salt water or fresh water is better used for rinsing the stung part. Salt water was used when I got stung before so I’ll go with that. It is after all the most accessible material (you are near the sea or ocean, after all).
Urine - Urine is considered as a common folk remedy when treating jellyfish stings. And like most common folk remedies…they don’t work. There have been reports of jellyfish stings reactivating after being peed on so that means more pain. I wouldn’t try it if I were you.
[...] post earlier when my daughter came up to me and mentioned how beautiful they are. Having been stung by jellyfish before, the memory of the incident actually caused me to view them in a different way. However, thanks to [...]
for some reason when I read this i keep thinking of the ben stiller movie when he gets stung by a jelly fish and his wife tackles him to the ground, holds him down and starts peeing on his back.