How to Treat Jellyfish Stings

Good news: jellyfish stings rarely pose life-threatening risks. The bad news: jellyfish release thousands of tiny stinging cells that embed into the skin, injecting venom when they sting. Typically, jellyfish venom causes mild discomfort, redness, and pain. In rare cases, the venom can lead to systemic illness. If you or someone else is stung by a jellyfish, prompt and decisive action can make a significant difference.

Know when to call emergency services and seek medical attention. Most jellyfish stings do not require medical intervention. However, seek medical attention immediately if you or someone else experiences any of the following situations:

• The sting covers more than half of an arm, leg, a large area of the torso, or is on the face or genital region.
• The sting causes a severe allergic reaction, including (but not limited to) symptoms such as difficulty breathing, dizziness, nausea, or a rapid heartbeat.
• The sting is from a box jellyfish. The venom of box jellyfish is extremely potent. This species is found along the coasts of Australia, parts of the Indian-Pacific region, and Hawaii. Box jellyfish are pale blue in color with a square-shaped bell, or a "Medusa's head with snake-like hair." They can grow up to approximately 2 meters in length.

Stay calm and exit the water. To prevent further stings and begin treatment, make sure to find a way to reach the shore immediately after being stung.

• Once out of the water, try not to scratch the affected area. Jellyfish tentacles might still be stuck to your skin, and scratching or touching them will result in additional stings.

Pour vinegar over the tentacles for at least 30 seconds. For maximum effectiveness, you can mix vinegar with warm water. This is the most efficient first aid treatment for stings from many types of jellyfish. Be sure that the water is not hot enough to burn your skin.

• Some jellyfish stings may respond better when treated with a combination of seawater and baking soda.

Carefully scrape off any remaining tentacles. After washing the sting, use a plastic item, like a credit card, to gently scrape off any remaining tentacles.

• Do not rub the sting with cloth or towel, as this could cause even more stingers to release venom.
• Try to stay still while removing the tentacles. The more you move, the more venom will be released.
• If you show signs of shock, make sure someone calls emergency services immediately, and try to remain as calm as possible.

Dispose of all items that came into contact with the jellyfish sting. It's crucial to minimize the risk of being stung again. Discard anything that might still have stinging cells attached, such as tools used to scrape off the tentacles or clothing that may still have tentacles on it.

Manage pain with pain relievers. If you're experiencing severe pain, you can take pain relievers like paracetamol or ibuprofen, as recommended. Ibuprofen can also help reduce inflammation caused by the sting.

Do not use urine to treat jellyfish stings. The idea of using urine to treat jellyfish stings likely comes from folklore and became more popular after the TV show Friends featured this as a humorous plot point. There is absolutely no reason to urinate on a jellyfish sting!

Avoid rinsing the jellyfish sting with freshwater. Most jellyfish stings occur in seawater. This means the nematocysts (stinging cells) contain a high concentration of saltwater. Any change in salinity triggers the nematocysts to release venom. Instead, use saltwater to rinse the sting.

Do not use meat tenderizer to deactivate the stingers. There is no research supporting this method, and it could potentially cause more harm than good.

Be aware that applying alcohol directly to the skin may backfire. Similar to using freshwater, alcohol can cause the nematocysts to release more venom, leading to increased pain.

Clean and bandage open wounds. After removing the tentacles and alleviating pain, clean the affected skin with warm water. (No need for seawater, as the nematocysts that react to freshwater have already been removed.) If the skin remains irritated or begins to bleed, apply a gauze pad and lightly bandage it.

Use oral or topical antihistamines to reduce itching and irritation. You can soothe irritated skin with over-the-counter antihistamines or creams containing diphenhydramine or calamine lotion.

Wait a day for symptoms to subside, and several days for the irritation to fully disappear. Pain should subside within 5-10 minutes after taking medication and typically disappears within a day. If pain persists after a day, consult a doctor for treatment.

• In rare cases, jellyfish stings may lead to infection or scarring, but most people avoid this, even after severe stings.
• In some uncommon instances, a hypersensitive reaction to the venom can occur a week or more after the sting. Blisters or other skin irritations may appear suddenly. While hypersensitivity is generally not dangerous, it is best to visit a general practitioner or dermatologist for treatment.

• Call a lifeguard. Lifeguards are trained to handle jellyfish stings and have the necessary equipment and skills to treat them quickly and effectively.
• Sometimes victims may not even see the creature that stung them. If symptoms persist or worsen, seek medical care after being stung by a marine organism.
• Treatment will depend on the type of jellyfish and the severity of the sting. For box jellyfish stings, the victim will be treated with antivenom to neutralize the toxin. If the sting affects heart function, CPR and epinephrine will be administered.

• Do not apply any of these solutions around the eyes. Instead, soak a clean cloth or towel in the solution and gently dab around the eye area.
• Do not leave meat tenderizer on the skin for more than 15 minutes.
• Never rub the skin to remove the tentacles, as this will cause further pain. Instead, gently pull or scrape the tentacles off the skin.