How to Treat Jellyfish Stings
How to Treat Jellyfish Stings
By Caitlin McGuire
Though jellyfish may look interesting at the aquarium, they’re dangerous at the beach. Jellyfish are peaceful, gelatinous oceanic invertebrates that protect themselves with their tentacles. The jellyfish’s tentacles are covered with pockets of venom that vary in severity, but can cause anything from a mild irritation to death.
Some of the deadliest jellyfish are found in waters of the southern hemisphere, near Australia and Indonesia. Stings are often a result of carelessness ‘swimming in jellyfish infested waters or touching beached jellyfish. If you suspect you’re in an area prone to jellyfish inhabitation, try not to swim when it’s dark, as jellyfish tend to swim nearer to the surface at night. Additionally, staying out of the water eight to ten days following a full moon can help to prevent stings, as jellyfish congregate to mate during this time in the lunar cycle.
Jellyfish have several classes that define their characteristics, but the most commonly seen are the scyphozoans and the cubozoans. All jellyfish use their tentacles, and the accompanying nematocysts that hold their venom to attack prey, but not all venoms affect humans. Scyphozoan jellyfish are typically less dangerous than are their Cubozoan cousins, box jellyfish like the Irukandji.
Stings from Scyphozoan jellyfish may be slightly agitating, but are generally not life-threatening. If you are stung by one of these jellies, soak the area stung in vinegar in order to prevent toxin release. Sea water and isopropyl alcohol are also acceptable alternatives, but fresh water should never be used to wash the area, as this changes the tonicity levels around the nematocysts, which triggers toxin release. Then, shave the area in order to remove nematocysts that have not yet released their venom. Continue flushing the area with vinegar. Take acetaminophen for pain from the sting.
Box jellyfish stings are much more serious than other jelly stings. Directly after being stung, you should contact a physician. In the meantime, flood the affected skin with vinegar and sit still. If you cannot be reached by medical help, soak the skin in vinegar for ten minutes at least, then remove the nematocysts by shaving.
The Irukandji jellyfish is one of the most deadly in the world. It lives in the waters around Australian in northern Queensland and has recently been discovered in the Pacific and Floridian waters. The jellyfish is barely over an inch in size, including both the body and the tentacles that are both covered in stingers, making it almost impossible to spot. The Irukandji is considered the world’s most venomous creature.
The Irukandji sting has a number of symptoms specific to the jellyfish sting. The symptoms after stinging are called Irukandji Syndrome. Though the sting from the jellyfish itself is mild, it is followed by the rapid onset of vomiting, headache, sweating, increased heart rate and high blood pressure.
The jump in blood pressure can be life-threatening, causing heart failure. These symptoms may appear in minutes after the event, but can last for days. Some swimmers who are stung are affected by pulmonary oedema, which is also life-threatening. Treatment for Irukandji stings generally target the effects of blood pressure and heart rate. The syndrome is diagnosed more than fifty times every summer in Australia.
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