How To Get Rid Of Jellyfish Sting?

One of the most feared animal bites or stings is the sting of a jellyfish. The tentacles of jellyfish are made so that the toxin is injected into your system in a very invasive and painful manner. People who have been stung by jellyfish may suffer muscle spasms right away. The spots where the stings occurred become red and swell up.

Within a short time people may experience irregular heartbeat, nausea, vomiting and headaches. Many people report a feeling of general weakness very soon after begin stung. Some victims have an extreme allergic reaction that can be life-threatening if not treated properly.

Immediate Treatment
Start treating a jellyfish sting right away by getting the person out of the water and lifting the tentacles off the skin with a stick, tongs or similar object. Don’t attempt to pull the tentacles off with your bare hands! Don’t attempt to clean the wound because it will only cause the problem to spread. If you can get your hands on some vinegar, rinse the area with that liquid. It’s important not to wash the affected area with fresh water or put any lotions or rubbing alcohol on the stings. If nothing else is available, male urine can be used as a rinse because it is sterile. *Don’t put ice on the stings.

Try to keep the person from moving about. It is especially important that the victim not move the leg, arm or other part of the body that was stung. This movement causes the venom to move throughout the body more rapidly. If stingers remain clinging to the skin use a substance like dry baking powder, flour or even some shaving cream to help when you scrape the tentacles off. Do this as gently as you can.

Vinegar, Vinegar!
If the person was unfortunate enough to be stung on the face, especially around the eyes, you may have to flush the eyes with fresh water. However, reports of jellyfish stings show that tentacles will swell up when they come in contact with fresh water. For external treatment, use vinegar. If a victim has been stung inside the mouth, you can dilute vinegar with water to make it more palatable for a mouth rinse.

The key to using vinegar, urine or another acidic liquid is that this keeps the venom packets from breaking open and spreading the toxin. Use this method as quickly as possible to limit further pain and damage.

Do what you can to avoid being stung in the first place. If you swim in the ocean, talk to locals who know about the animals that populate this section of the ocean. Be prepared with vinegar and other items when you make a trip to the seaside.

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