News that over 100 bathers in Alicante needed help from the Red Cross after being stung by jellies suggests a health epidemic, and the old wives' tales surrounding the treatment of these stings probably exacerbates the panic. The myth about peeing on the wound to relieve the pain persists, despite being debunked by Scientific American. Other rumoured cures include rubbing sand into the wound, or covering it in shaving foam and shaving off any stingers sticking to the skin using a razor (as if you'd carry one in your beach bag).
Jellyfish stings happen when something stimulates the outside of the jelly's stinging cells (cnidocytes) - such as a fish swimming against it, or your leg brushing past. The cnidocyte contains an sub-unit (organelle) called the cnidocyst, which consists of a small balloon-like structure containing a coiled-up tube. This tube rockets out and injects toxins into the creature unfortunate enough to touch the jelly. If the stimulus was a tiny fish, it would be paralysed and then devoured, but a much larger beast like you would merely suffer an instant jolt of pain. That said, the burning sensation can last for hours.
Quite apart from the awkward contortions needed for the pee cure, you may actually make the pain worse. An alkaline jellyfish sting requires an acid to neutralise it, and dilute pee could make intensify the discomfort by unbalancing the concentration of salts in the cnidocytes.
For the same reason, you shouldn’t try to wash the wound with fresh water. Your best bet is rinsing off any remaining tentacles from your skin with sea water, and removing the rest with a pair of tweezers (or ‘shaving’ them off with a credit card. This seems to be where the shaving foam myth came from).
Vinegar can help to relieve the pain, but should not be used if the stinger is a Portuguese Man O’War (which, although it isn’t technically a jellyfish, is often thought of as such). Anyone showing signs of an allergic reaction, such as shallowness of breathing, dizziness or loss of consciousness, should of course seek immediate medical attention, but most of us should make do with some painkillers and resolve to swim more carefully in future.
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Whose jellyfish wounds are those? Are they yours?
ReplyDeleteAlso, what types of sting would you find around the British coast?
Are all jellyfish stings alkaline (and thus not treatable by alkaline pee, but would be by acidic vinegar) or are some acid? In case of the latter, would you still recommend vinegar for pain relief?
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ReplyDeleteLuckily the jellyfish stings aren't mine! The consensus, from what I've read, does seem to be that all jellyfish stings can be treated with vinegar. The Portuguese Man O'War is the only 'jellyfish' where this treatment will make it worse.
ReplyDeleteAs for UK jellyfish, the most common types are moon, blue and compass jellyfish. The last two can give you a sting but not a serious one. That said, the massive Lion's Mane jellyfish has been spotted in the Irish Sea and the East coast of Scotland.
In fact, you can help the Marine Conservation Society chart the different types of jellyfish in the UK through their jellyfish survey.