Relaxed bathing in the sea can sometimes be spoiled by jellyfish’s touch. Luckily, there is a cure!
Jellyfish are members of the phylum Cnidaria, which look like a bell or umbrella, and during the summer months they can have close encounter with swimmers who find that encounters highly undesirable primarily because they can get burned. The venom from its tentacles causes pain comparable to that of sunburn, while the skin remains red and becomes swollen.
If you get touched by jellyfish, it is essential to stay calm, get out of the water and not rub in the poison in the body. The affected area should be rinsed with the sea water (not with the one from a tap) so the tentacles that are left on the skin could be washed. Do not remove them with bare hands and do not rub the burned area with a towel or clothing. In order to alleviate the pain the burned place should be poured with ordinary vinegar or lemon juice, and if you don’t have these ingredients at the moment, you can sprinkle the burned place with urine. Although this procedure is uncomfortable for many, but it really helps and in a critical situation should not be avoided. What you mustn’t do is to rinse the burn area with alcohol or fresh water, because the situation will only worsen.
The first day, ice cubes wrapped in a cloth or a towel can be put to stop the swelling. Flushing saline solution may be helpful as well as it will lessen the pain and the visible symptoms. Purchase a cream that contains analgesic and an antihistamine in the pharmacy.
If you are allergic or symptoms are still there after a few hours, be sure to consult a doctor.
Personal experiences
Those who experienced a contact with jellyfish, they tried a few tricks of their own that have helped them. So a young man stated that applying detergent for washing dishes on the affected area has helped. The procedure should be repeated several times until the burning sensation disappears completely. The case of a girl who has experienced the touch of jellyfish says that St. John’s worth oil has helped. Due to its great effect on the skin of which we are familiar there is no reason to doubt in this advice. A third example is the application of a thin layer of honey on the burn, which is then covered with gauze. The procedure is repeated for several days until the symptoms completely disappear. Also, from one experience Aloe Vera juice or houseleek can be from great help.
