JellyFish are NOT Your Friends
Jellyfish are free-swimming species that are often associated with painful stings. However, not all jellyfish species have stings that are painful or harmful to humans. Still, those that do sting humans have earned this creature a negative reputation, in general. Anyway, if you are stung by a jellyfish, it is bound to be painful and can cause red welts to break out from your skin. The following are some tips on what to do if you get stung by a jellyfish.
- Get out of the water. The sting of some jellyfish species can be so powerful and painful that it can impair you from swimming or floating – this can cause drowning. Once out of the water, use salt water to rinse the affected area.
- Get rid of the tentacles. The tentacles continue to sting anything it is in contact with. Thus, ensure that you remove them immediately – do not use your bare hands, use a towel, gloves, tweezers, seaweeds, or anything available.
- Rinse it with vinegar. Vinegar helps deactivate the remaining nematocysts that hold the venom and can also soothe the affected area. Pour a liberal amount unto the affected areas. If vinegar is not immediately available, human urine can also do the job. You can also place baking powder, flour, cornstarch, or meat tenderizer on the area to help alleviate the pain and to keep it dry.
- Use topical anesthetics. If the sting persists, you can use topical anesthetics such as hydrocortisone. Ammonia is also a good option. If the sting hurts a lot, drink pain killers.
Those who show signs of an allergic reaction or have been stung really badly must be taken to a medical facility as soon as possible.
