Jellyfish Sting
How to Deal with a Jellyfish Sting
A jellyfish sting is often a serious medical emergency. Call 911, and while you are waiting, flush the sting area and keep the victim as still as you can. If you are not in an area where you can access medical help, soak the sting area and tentacles for at least ten minutes, before you try to pull the tentacles out. If the person was stung on the arms or legs, you should put an ace bandage around the area that was stung. Don't stop the flow of blood to the sting area; you are only trying to slow the movement of the toxin.
If the person stung displays any symptoms such as breathing difficulty, chest pain, difficulty swallowing or intense pain at the sting site, call 911. Likewise, call for help if the person was stung in the mouth and is having difficulty swallowing, or a swelling of lips or tongue, or if the person stung is very young or very old.
For a jellyfish sting that you know was not carried out by a poisonous jellyfish like a box jellyfish, rinse the sting area with vinegar for about a half hour, to stop the toxins from being released from the tentacles. If there isn't any vinegar at your location, use isopropyl alcohol or sea water to rinse the area. Be sure not to use fresh water, because that will induce the tentacles to release their toxins. Also, do not use hot water or ice on the sting area, or rub it, even if it itches. You can remove the tentacles with a pair of tweezers or a pen knife. Put on rubber gloves if you have some available.
Jellyfish are normally not aggressive towards people. They are gelatinous animals that have tentacles surrounding their body. The tentacles have sacs on them that are poison-filled. There are different types of jellyfish found all over the world, but the deadliest are normally found in the waters off Australia and the Indo-Pacific area. The jellyfish sting from a specimen in these waters should be assumed to be deadly.
Jellyfish usually float close to the water's surface, when the light is dim. Sometimes they can be spotted lying on the beach after washing up there. A jellyfish sting is usually accidental – received when you handled a jellyfish or swam or waded into one.
There are over two hundred kinds of jellyfish that are documented. Some have gatherings in the water, eight or ten days after a full moon. There is an increased risk of an accidental jellyfish sting during these times.
The symptoms of a jellyfish sting include raised welts, rash, itching, and stinging pain. If you receive any toxins from the sacs on the tentacles, the effects could include muscle spasms, tingling and numbness, abdominal pain, swelling of the lymph nodes, diarrhea, vomiting and nausea. More severe reactions from deadlier jellyfish species can cause breathing difficulties, coma and death.