We’re getting close to the start of the summer… and that means beach time! If you’ll be spending time at the ocean with your family, you may need to know how to treat a jellyfish sting.
There isn’t usually much warning before a jellyfish sting. You may not even know a jellyfish is near until you’ve been stung. The sting comes from the jellyfish’s long tentacles that trail behind the bell-shaped body. The venom in the tentacles is alkali-based, and has a chance of causing a severe allergic reaction.
If you or someone you’re with gets stung, here’s what you should do:
- Rinse the tentacles and sting wounds with salt water, not fresh water. Fresh water will only make the stinging worse.
- The tentacles may remain on the skin after stinging and even after rinsing. Use gloves or tweezers to pick the tentacles off. Don’t touch the tentacles with your bare hands (or other bare skin).
- Rinse or soak the affected area in vinegar to neutralize the alkali-based toxin.
- Restrict movement of the affected area to reduce spread of the venom. The more you move, the more blood with flow through the area, possibly carrying the toxin through your body.
- Take ibuprofen (like Advil) or acetaminophen (like Tylenol) to relieve the pain.
You may have heard that urine can neutralize the jellyfish toxin, but vinegar is a better bet. There may not be enough acid in the urine to ease the sting; the acetic acid in the vinegar is more than enough to take care of the alkali-based toxin.
The most important thing to do after a jellyfish sting is watch for a severe allergic reaction, also known as anaphylaxis. If you see red lines coming from the wound and heading for the heart, you should head for the nearest emergency room.