What to do if a jellyfish stings you?

Across certain coastal areas of the world, jellyfishes are in abundance in the beaches. And if you're not careful you can get stung! This can be painful and a jellyfish bite can at times, be venomous. The first thing you should do when a jellyfish stings you is calm down and not give-in to any myths about fast cures.

The immediate things that you should do when a jellyfish stings you is to absolutely stay still till the jellyfish lets go of you. Then come out of the water and make sure that you don’t rub the area because that will cause the sting to release venom and spread rapidly to other parts of the body.

What to do if a jellyfish stings you?

Wash the area very well. Vinegar works best, but if you don't have any, then use seawater but never freshwater. Take a tweezers and slowly remove the tentacles, but avoid touching the area with bare hands to aggravating the infection. After removing the tentacles, hold it still under warm water – not very hot or boiling water. It should just be warm enough. If you don’t have water then hot pack should also do the trick.

Remember whenever you are treating jellyfish stings try to avoid treatments like peeing on the jellyfish sting or using alcohol to rub it off or applying ice to the skin. Most of these may not have scientific backing and would actually worsen the condition rather than making it any better.

If you have been able to catch a glimpse of the type of jellyfish that stung you, try to categorise it. If it had been one of the deadlier ones, like box jellyfish or Portuguese man o’war, then seek immediate medical attention from the professionals. They can be life-threatening. If you notice any breathing issues, chest pain or allergies, dizziness, weakness and redness around the patch then medicine is your best way out.

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