Jellyfish Sting: Symptoms, Treatments, and More

Jellyfish sting symptoms

Jellyfish are a common sea creature found in every ocean. There are many species of jellyfish, all of them with tentacles. Some carry poisonous venom in their tentacles as a method of self-defense against predators. It’s this venom that makes a jellyfish sting so painful.

Most types of jellyfish stings will cause some discomfort, but some can be life-threatening. According to the National Science Foundation, over 500,000 people are stung by jellyfish every year in North America’s Chesapeake Bay alone.

Common symptoms of a jellyfish sting include:

• a burning, stinging sensation on your skin
• a tingling or numbness where the sting occurred
• the skin in the area where the jellyfish stung turning red or purple

More severe symptoms of a jellyfish sting include:

• nausea
• dizziness
• vomiting
• difficulty breathing

The severity of your symptoms will depend on what kind of jellyfish you encountered, and how much of your skin is affected by its venom.

Treatment for jellyfish stings mainly revolves around pain relief or healing allergic reactions if they occur.

Immediate relief treatment

Most jellyfish stings can be treated right away with a salt water or hot water rinse. This will help decrease the burning sensation from the sting. It may also help to take a hot shower as soon as possible. A recent study concluded that jellyfish stings are treated more effectively by hot water than by ice packs.

Over-the-counter medicines

If you’re in a lot of pain, you can try applying a topical painkiller such as lidocaine (LMX 4, AneCream). A pain reliever such as ibuprofen (Advil) could also lessen the effect of the sting.

You may find out you are allergic to jellyfish stings after you’ve been stung by one. If you’re having an allergic reaction, such as hives, an over-the-counter antihistamine cream will help bring relief.

Home remedies

Some people believe that applying a baking soda paste to the sting area will soothe their skin and draw out the jellyfish’s venom. Vinegar is also a popular remedy for jellyfish stings. But the effectiveness of both of these remedies is inconclusive. Using a vinegar rinse may help in the case of some jellyfish species, but not others.

Medicines for severe reactions

A reaction to a more dangerous species of jellyfish will need to be treated with antivenin. This is a special drug formulated to combat the venom of a specific breed of animal. Antivenin for jellyfish stings can only be found in hospitals.

It’s a popular belief that human urine can be used to treat a jellyfish sting. This has never been proven. Human urine isn’t a sanitary medical treatment, and there is no need to resort to trying it. Treating the area of your sting with salt water from the ocean or a hot water rinse is a much better and more effective method of treatment.

Meat tenderizer, a popular remedy, also shouldn’t be used, as it can cause damage to tissue.

Don’t rub the area where your skin has been stung for several hours afterward, and avoid getting sand near the wound.

Rinsing with cold, fresh water might seem like a good idea, but it could activate more jellyfish stingers if there are still some in your skin. Opting for a hot shower instead will help rinse the stingers out without making the sting worse.

Certain bodies of water are known to contain large numbers of jellyfish, called blooms. Swimming in bodies of water where blooms of jellyfish are known to be increases your chance of getting stung.

Swimming downwind also makes getting stung more likely, as jellyfish travel with the current. People who fish, dive, or go boating in deep waters are all more likely to get jellyfish stings. Same goes for people who scuba dive without protective equipment and people who surf.

Any time you swim in an ocean, you’re visiting the natural habitat of the jellyfish. There is always a chance you may encounter a jellyfish, but you can take steps to make getting stung less likely.

When you arrive at a beach, speak with the lifeguard on duty about what types of jellyfish have been seen in the area and if people have been reporting stings that day. Jellyfish move in patterns, riding currents, and are more common during certain times of the year. You may wish to avoid swimming in areas with high jellyfish populations altogether.

Wearing a protective bodysuit in the water will reduce your chances of being stung.

When wading in shallow water, shuffle your feet and walk slowly to disturb the sand and avoid catching a jellyfish by surprise.

Although they’re beautiful and interesting to look at, you should never pick up a jellyfish that has washed up on the beach. Even dead jellyfish can deploy venom from their tentacles.

Commercial products are available that claim to reduce the odds of jellyfish stings, although their clinical benefit is largely unknown.

Most jellyfish stings won’t have any long-term effect on your health. If you’re stung by a jellyfish and start to feel dizzy or nauseous, pay close attention. Jellyfish sting symptoms, especially from more dangerous species, can escalate quickly. If you lose feeling in the limb that was stung, have difficulty breathing, or experience heart palpitations after being stung, go to the emergency room. Being stung by a jellyfish in an area known to have dangerous breeds such as lion’s mane and box jellyfish, is also cause for concern. As well, if you’re stung by a jellyfish multiple times, you should see a doctor.

Jellyfish Sting: Symptoms, Treatments, and More

Jellyfish sting symptoms

Jellyfish are a common sea creature found in every ocean. There are many species of jellyfish, all of them with tentacles. Some carry poisonous venom in their tentacles as a method of self-defense against predators. It’s this venom that makes a jellyfish sting so painful.

Most types of jellyfish stings will cause some discomfort, but some can be life-threatening. According to the National Science Foundation, over 500,000 people are stung by jellyfish every year in North America’s Chesapeake Bay alone.

Common symptoms of a jellyfish sting include:

• a burning, stinging sensation on your skin
• a tingling or numbness where the sting occurred
• the skin in the area where the jellyfish stung turning red or purple

More severe symptoms of a jellyfish sting include:

• nausea
• dizziness
• vomiting
• difficulty breathing

The severity of your symptoms will depend on what kind of jellyfish you encountered, and how much of your skin is affected by its venom.

Treatment for jellyfish stings mainly revolves around pain relief or healing allergic reactions if they occur.

Immediate relief treatment

Most jellyfish stings can be treated right away with a salt water or hot water rinse. This will help decrease the burning sensation from the sting. It may also help to take a hot shower as soon as possible. A recent study concluded that jellyfish stings are treated more effectively by hot water than by ice packs.

Over-the-counter medicines

If you’re in a lot of pain, you can try applying a topical painkiller such as lidocaine (LMX 4, AneCream). A pain reliever such as ibuprofen (Advil) could also lessen the effect of the sting.

You may find out you are allergic to jellyfish stings after you’ve been stung by one. If you’re having an allergic reaction, such as hives, an over-the-counter antihistamine cream will help bring relief.

Home remedies

Some people believe that applying a baking soda paste to the sting area will soothe their skin and draw out the jellyfish’s venom. Vinegar is also a popular remedy for jellyfish stings. But the effectiveness of both of these remedies is inconclusive. Using a vinegar rinse may help in the case of some jellyfish species, but not others.

Medicines for severe reactions

A reaction to a more dangerous species of jellyfish will need to be treated with antivenin. This is a special drug formulated to combat the venom of a specific breed of animal. Antivenin for jellyfish stings can only be found in hospitals.

It’s a popular belief that human urine can be used to treat a jellyfish sting. This has never been proven. Human urine isn’t a sanitary medical treatment, and there is no need to resort to trying it. Treating the area of your sting with salt water from the ocean or a hot water rinse is a much better and more effective method of treatment.

Meat tenderizer, a popular remedy, also shouldn’t be used, as it can cause damage to tissue.

Don’t rub the area where your skin has been stung for several hours afterward, and avoid getting sand near the wound.

Rinsing with cold, fresh water might seem like a good idea, but it could activate more jellyfish stingers if there are still some in your skin. Opting for a hot shower instead will help rinse the stingers out without making the sting worse.

Certain bodies of water are known to contain large numbers of jellyfish, called blooms. Swimming in bodies of water where blooms of jellyfish are known to be increases your chance of getting stung.

Swimming downwind also makes getting stung more likely, as jellyfish travel with the current. People who fish, dive, or go boating in deep waters are all more likely to get jellyfish stings. Same goes for people who scuba dive without protective equipment and people who surf.

Any time you swim in an ocean, you’re visiting the natural habitat of the jellyfish. There is always a chance you may encounter a jellyfish, but you can take steps to make getting stung less likely.

When you arrive at a beach, speak with the lifeguard on duty about what types of jellyfish have been seen in the area and if people have been reporting stings that day. Jellyfish move in patterns, riding currents, and are more common during certain times of the year. You may wish to avoid swimming in areas with high jellyfish populations altogether.

Wearing a protective bodysuit in the water will reduce your chances of being stung.

When wading in shallow water, shuffle your feet and walk slowly to disturb the sand and avoid catching a jellyfish by surprise.

Although they’re beautiful and interesting to look at, you should never pick up a jellyfish that has washed up on the beach. Even dead jellyfish can deploy venom from their tentacles.

Commercial products are available that claim to reduce the odds of jellyfish stings, although their clinical benefit is largely unknown.

Most jellyfish stings won’t have any long-term effect on your health. If you’re stung by a jellyfish and start to feel dizzy or nauseous, pay close attention. Jellyfish sting symptoms, especially from more dangerous species, can escalate quickly. If you lose feeling in the limb that was stung, have difficulty breathing, or experience heart palpitations after being stung, go to the emergency room. Being stung by a jellyfish in an area known to have dangerous breeds such as lion’s mane and box jellyfish, is also cause for concern. As well, if you’re stung by a jellyfish multiple times, you should see a doctor.

What to do if a jellyfish stings

July 5, 2022

Likbez

Health

At Russian resorts you will not encounter dangerous jellyfish. But abroad, anything is possible.

How jellyfish sting

Jellyfish do not hunt humans. You can get hurt if you touch them.

In the tentacles of jellyfish are small capsules – nematocysts, inside which are jagged threads or tubes with poison. When you touch the animal, the capsule wall reacts and lets in calcium ions. Inside, the pressure rises – and the threads, like tiny darts, shoot at the victim. This process takes a fraction of a second.

Interestingly, nematocysts can react to touch even if the jellyfish is already dead.

Which jellyfish stings are dangerous

Most jellyfish stings are harmless. But there are species whose poison is deadly.

Box jellyfish

Cubozoa. Photo: Katherine Wallis / Shutterstock

This is a class that also includes Irukandji jellyfish – the smallest and deadliest in the world: they cause the syndrome of the same name. They mainly live in the warm waters of the Pacific and Indian oceans.

Lion’s mane

Cyanea capillata. Photo: Martin Prochazkacz / Shutterstock

These are the largest jellyfish in the world: their body diameter is more than 1 m. They are found in cool areas of the Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic.

Nettle

Chrysaora quinquecirrha. Photo: Elliotte Rusty Harold / Shutterstock

These jellyfish are found in both warm and cool waters along the northeast coast of the United States.

Portuguese warship

Physalia physalis. Photo: IVANNE/Shutterstock

This is not exactly a jellyfish, but a colony of small jellyfish. Above the water they have a gas-filled bubble that acts like a sail, and in the water they have long tentacles with poison capsules. Physalia physalis lives in the tropical waters of the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian Oceans and the Caribbean.

Why jellyfish stings can be dangerous

The prognosis depends on the type of jellyfish. The venom of some causes only minor pain and burning. Others can kill in minutes.

Sometimes there is a delayed reaction – Irukandji syndrome. It develops after 4-48 hours, leads to spasms of muscles and blood vessels, and is life-threatening due to disruption of the heart.

How to tell if a jellyfish has stung

At the time of the sting, you will feel itching and a burning, stinging or throbbing pain that may radiate to your limbs. A red-brown or purple imprint and swelling can be seen on the skin.

The following may also appear immediately or after some time:

• nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain;
• headache;
• muscle pain and spasms;
• weakness, drowsiness, confusion up to fainting;
• difficulty breathing;
• irregular heart rate.

When to see a doctor if you are stung by a jellyfish

Call an ambulance if you:

• have trouble breathing;
• convulsions;
• chest pain;
• severe bleeding;
• massive swelling of the affected area;
• vomiting;
• dizziness;
• loss of consciousness.

Seek medical attention if you have been stung in the face or genitals, or if you experience severe pain that does not improve. Also see a GP if the bite continues to itch after a few weeks.

What you can do yourself if you are stung by a jellyfish

Doctors advise you to act like this:

1. Remove the remaining tentacles with tweezers or a bank card.
2. Place the burned area in hot, but not scalding, water for 20-45 minutes.
3. If you can’t stand itching, apply calamine lotion or steroid cream.

There is no consensus as to whether it is worth rinsing with vinegar to protect against triggering of unopened nematocysts. But this definitely cannot be done with a burn by a Portuguese boat.

What not to do if you get stung by a jellyfish

You probably remember what Chandler did when Monica was stung by a jellyfish. In fact, there is no need to urinate on the burn – the pain may even increase.

In addition, do not:

• scrape the remaining tentacles, rub or scratch the skin;
• wash the burn with fresh or salt water;
• apply ice or cold compress;
• apply pressure bandage;
• water the affected area with alcohol or ammonia.

When the jellyfish sting is gone

Contact marks usually disappear within a few hours. But sometimes a rash appears that will go away for several weeks and leave a scar.

How to protect yourself from jellyfish

If you’re traveling, take precautions ahead of time:

• Talk to lifeguards or the locals before you swim or dive in coastal waters.
• Do not sunbathe on the beach or swim during jellyfish season.
• If there are jellyfish in the water and you want to swim, put on a protective suit and shoes.

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Why a jellyfish sting is dangerous and what to do if there is no medicine at hand

There are many different marine life in salt water, encountering which can be dangerous for both children and adults. Jellyfish are among such dangerous creatures. How to help a child if he was stung by a jellyfish, says pediatrician and pediatric endocrinologist Victoria Sedletskaya.

Question. A child was stung by a jellyfish, what should I do?

Reply. When stinging, a jellyfish does not anesthetize the bite site, so the child will immediately feel a burning sensation, and, possibly, he will experience pain shock. Either red stripes appear on the skin, resembling tentacles in shape, or blisters like from nettles. With normal skin regeneration, the burn will heal within 5 days.

There are several categories of children for whom a jellyfish sting can be especially dangerous:

• Children under three years old who can put a jellyfish in their mouth and get a burn of the mucous membrane, which heals much harder than a skin burn.
• Children with chronic diseases: convulsions, epilepsy, affective-respiratory paroxysms.
• Allergics who, in response to poison, release histamine, which provokes bronchospasm.

If, after a jellyfish sting, a child develops bronchospasm and begins to choke, an acute allergic reaction occurs, convulsions occur, he needs emergency medical care. Children who are predisposed to allergies may require an inhaled bronchodilator or an injection of a glucocorticoid with a similar reaction.

Basically, all complications after a jellyfish sting are treated on an outpatient basis. Treatment is mainly symptomatic: antiallergic, analgesic drugs, if necessary, antipyretic.

What to do if, for example, a child is stung by a jellyfish on the beach, and the parents do not have the necessary medicines with them?

First, the entire body of the jellyfish, including the tentacles, must be very carefully removed from the skin. Since it is not known in advance whether the jellyfish is poisonous, you need to remove it with a foreign object or through it: a stick, tweezers, a plastic card, a hand wrapped in a bag – anything, but not with your bare hands.

Secondly, it is advisable to rinse the bite site with water. It is better if it is salty, since salt is an osmotically active substance that will draw out the remnants of the poison and prevent it from being absorbed into the blood. In this case, fresh water will accelerate absorption through the skin. It is not necessary to treat the skin additionally: special preparations for burns and bites, vegetable oil and other fatty ointments are meaningless, because they do not affect the affected skin area in any way.