How to Prevent and Treat Jellyfish Stings

One of the most common oceanic invertebrates, the Jellyfish; may look cool from a distance but if you get to close you may end up getting stung!! Though not aggressive by nature, the Jellyfish when bumped or touched can and typically will, sting you.; that's why today we're going to be covering some easy steps you can take to help avoid being stung and if stung, treat it.

How to Avoid Being Stung by a Jellyfish

Though it may sound cool to see a Jellyfish in the wild, it's a safer bet to plan your next beach trip around a time were you're less likely to see one. You can do this by first getting the current conditions of the beach you're going to. Jellyfish move with the ocean current so during periods of rougher water they can end up scattered on coastal shorelines and in the shallow waters. Another key tip is to avoid the ocean during your areas jellyfish season; as an example, if you lived in Australia and wanted to travel to North Queensland you would be strongly advised to visit areas with less reported amounts of jellyfish, during the jellyfish season that is between November and May.

Then our final tip to avoid being stung by a jellyfish is, be aware of were you're stepping. Jellyfish often times wash up on shorelines and go easily unseen, thus resulting in people stepping on them and getting stung; and yes, stepping on a dead jellyfish will cause you to be stung!

How to Treat Jellyfish Stings

Though we hope you're never faced with a situation were you'll have to implement these tips, it's always good information to have just in case. Our first tip..is...NOT to urinate on the stung area, in most cases urinating on the stung location can cause an even more intense pain for the victim. Though we were all told this was a treatment growing up, it is in fact, not. The best remedy for a jellyfish sting is by first removing any visible tentacles that may have been left with tweezers; you will then need to soak your skin in hot water for 20-45 minutes (depending on severity), you then should consult with a doctor as to what your next steps need to be.

Now you may be wondering, if urinating on the wound was a lie, what other fictitious remedies have I been told? Not to worry, here is a short list of home remedies to avoid.

• Scraping or scratching off jellyfish stingers from the affected area
• Using seawater to clean the wounded area
• Rinsing with fresh water to clean the affected area
• Using alcohol to try out the stung area

Though there are surely many more, this is a short list of things to avoid when treating your jellyfish sting.

 Conclusion

The aquatic world is one of mystery, danger, and excitement; but the most important thing to remember is that it is not our home, and that we are the invaders; with that in mind, the most important tip we have for you is to respect the various species that reside within the ocean depths. That is the number one way to avoid not only jellyfish stings, but also reduce the chances of something even more scary happening to you.