Jellyfish, here’s what to do if it stings you

Here is how to avoid that a close encounter with a jellyfish ruins your day at the seaside.

Jellyfish is elegant and delicate. It moves across the waves with enchanting gracefulness, but having a close encounter with them can be particularly painful and, in rare cases, even harmful. In case of contact, usually there are no big consequences and the event can soon become an unpleasant memory. How? Avoiding a panic attack, taking a few precautions and using natural remedies.

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Jellyfish moves across the waves with enchanting gracefulness, but having a close encounter with it can be particularly painful and, in rare cases, even harmful.

Natural remedies to treat jellyfish stings

When you are stung by jellyfish, the first thing to keep in mind is to avoid rubbing the wound in order not to spread further the animal’s stinging substance. Then, it is fundamental that you come out from the water soon, because you may have even severe allergic reactions to the jelly’s poison, including anaphylactic shock. Once you reach the foreshore make sure to be aided promptly in case of severe reactions and the first simple thing you should do is rinsing the wound with seawater. It is preferable not to use fresh water because it may foster the spread of the poison to other tissues. White vinegar is another effective natural remedy in case of sting, but it seems that the suggestion of plugging the skin with urine to ease the pain is devoid of any scientific basis. An even more effective remedy is that of using a gel made of aluminium chloride (concentration between 3 and 5 percent) available at the drugstore.

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If there is plenty of jellyfish you’d better avoid to bathe, or at least you should wear a diver’s mask and be careful, always keeping in mind that jellyfish moves up and down the water column.

The most effective “remedy” is obviously prevention. If there is plenty of jellyfish you’d better avoid to bathe, or at least you should wear a diver’s mask and be careful, always keeping in mind that jellyfish moves up and down the water column but is also carried by the current and the undertow. It usually doesn’t attack, follows or hits humans, the pain depends exclusively on the contact with its stinging tentacles.

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As in case of insect of other poisonous animal sting, it is essential to seek medical attention in case of uncommon severe or persistent symptoms.

As in case of insect of other poisonous animal sting, it is essential to seek medical attention in case of uncommon severe or persistent symptoms (fever, confused state, spread swelling, shortness of breath or other problems connected to the respiratory tract).

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