Most jelly stings are relatively mild, though some -- particularly the Portuguese Man-of-War -- can cause a great deal of pain. However, most stings can be treated simply by rubbing the affected area with vinegar, meat tenderizer or even sand.
Use water that's 110 to 113 F (43 to 45 C). It should feel hot, not scalding. Keep the affected skin immersed or in a hot shower until the pain eases, which might be 20 to 45 minutes. Apply 0.5% to 1% hydrocortisone cream or ointment twice a day to the affected skin.
The pain radiates from the sting site and starts to itch, burn and throb as it blisters. Scratching it, though, can make the pain worse, because rubbing activates the nematocysts, which release more venom.
Scraping off the tentacles with a credit card—a method recommended even by well-respected healthcare organizations—is an equally bad strategy. Scraping the wound applies pressure that causes stingers to release more venom.
Don't rub the area, which can make things worse. Use tweezers to pluck away any tentacles still on the skin.
Minor stings: Severe burning pain will lessen within 1-2 hours. Red blotches and lines often improve in 24 hours. Red lines may last 1-2 weeks. More severe stings: Blisters appear within 6 hours.
When an itchy rash occurs several days to weeks after a sting, the rash may mean a delayed skin reaction has occurred. A delayed reaction can occur many times over the course of 1 to 2 months following a sting. You may have a fever, weakness, or joint stiffness or swelling.
Seabather's eruption is a rash that develops from the stings of jellyfish or sea anemone larvae. The rash can be itchy and annoying. It usually goes away without medical treatment in 10 to 14 days.
Here are a few tips: – Remove gently what's left of the tentacles off the skin with a pair of tweezers or with two pairs of gloves. In order to get rid of the invisible fragments, apply some wet sand or shaving cream to the affected area and shave it off with the help of a wax comb or a credit card.
Stop the Stinging
Strong reactions can see a fever, dizziness, nausea and cramps. Rinse the area with vinegar for at least 30 seconds. Remove tentacles with a pair of tweezers. After you remove the tentacles, soak the affected area in hot water (104-113 F or 40-45 C) for at least 20 minutes.
Vinegar inactivates the jelly's nematocysts so they can't fire, which means they won't be able to hurt you any worse. Once you treat the injury with vinegar, you'll still have to remove the stingers with tweezers.
Shaving cream — It is important to remove the tentacle if it is still lodged in the skin, and applying shaving cream to the affected area will prevent nematocysts from releasing toxins during the removal.
Stings from some jellyfish cause only minor itching and pain. But some box jellyfish stings can kill you within a matter of minutes. Other box jellyfish stings can cause a fatal reaction four to 48 hours after a sting due to Irukandji syndrome. Irukandji syndrome is a delayed reaction to a sting.
Apply vitamin E or aloe vera juice to heal tissue and reduce inflammation.
The progressive effects of a jellyfish sting may include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, lymph node swelling, abdominal and back pain, fever, chills, and sweating. Severe reactions can cause difficulty breathing, coma, and death. Persistent redness and irritation after 2-3 days may signal bacterial infection of the wound.
Treat itching with an over-the-counter anti-itch cream and/or an antihistamine, such as diphenhydramine (Benadryl®). If itching is severe, see a doctor for a stronger preparation. See a doctor if someone is stung in the mouth, in or near the eye, on a large area of skin, or on the genital region.
Possible complications of a jellyfish sting include: Delayed skin reaction, causing blisters, rash or other irritation. Irukandji syndrome, which causes chest and stomach pain, high blood pressure, and heart problems.
What to know about jellyfish. If you see a collection of jellyfish, keep everyone away. “If you see jellyfish on the beach, realize they can hurt you if you touch them,” Conroy said, noting that even dead jellyfish have venom in their tentacles that can sting on contact.
Two days after a jellyfish sting, the skin will have started to heal. It will still show faint tentacle marks. If you have a hypersensitivity reaction, you may notice a rash or hives. 1 These can usually be treated with oral antihistamines or corticosteroids.
“People have said that on a scale of 1 to 10, the sting of a box jelly on bare skin is a 100. I thought the swim was over right then.” But Nyad rated the pain level a 6, and within 10 minutes, it had dropped to a 2.
Wash the sting with clean water 2 times a day. Don't use hydrogen peroxide or alcohol, which can slow healing. You may cover the area with a thin layer of petroleum jelly, such as Vaseline, and a nonstick bandage. Apply more petroleum jelly and replace the bandage as needed.
The skin at the site of the stings may look dusky or bluish purple. Blisters and deep sores (ulcers) may develop.
Irukandji syndrome is a painful, potentially lethal condition caused by the sting and envenomation from multiple jellyfish species. It is characterized by severe pain, muscle cramping, hypertension, and potentially life-threatening cardiac complications.
In this way, a sting might seem to come out of nowhere. Most jellyfish stings are painful but not dangerous. A few jellyfish, however, release powerful venom into the skin. The stings of these species, if left untreated, can be dangerous or even deadly.