Going on a long-awaited vacation to the sea, many tourists forget about the dangers lurking on the beach. Resting at sea, it is important not only to be able to stay well on the water. Remember the dangers that marine inhabitants carry. For example, a jellyfish burn is very unpleasant. First aid should be provided immediately!
Why are jellyfish dangerous?
Some tourists find jellyfish safe based on their jelly-like appearance. However, this is far from always the case. Some jellyfish have special stinging cells containing poison. They need them for self-defense from an attack by the inhabitants of the sea or for food. With light contact with the owner of the poison, the cells become more active, throw out a liquid that has a neuroparalytic effect. Poisonous threads leave severe burns on human skin.
And it is worth being afraid not only of jellyfish at sea, but also of those thrown ashore. They retain the ability to inject poison for another three hours.
What are the consequences of meeting a jellyfish?
A jellyfish burn can cause not only pain and redness of the epidermis. Meeting with a marine inhabitant can be much worse.
- Allergic reaction. After a burn on the skin, extensive redness, pain, and severe pinching may occur. On the Black Sea coast, such reactions are especially frequent after encounters with aurelia.
- Rash. At the site of the burn, a red rash appears in the form of small bubbles filled with liquid.
- Blisters. May appear after meeting with a large jellyfish. Such a burn causes the fusion of small blisters. So painful blisters form.
- Sometimes a jellyfish burn can cause anaphylactic shock. If the victim has a loss of consciousness, shortness of breath, swelling of the larynx or shortness of breath - immediately call an ambulance. In this case, only an injection of corticosteroids will help .
- Nausea and vomiting. Observed after close contact with a large jellyfish.
First aid to a victim of a jellyfish bite
If a jellyfish stung you, the first thing to do is get out of the water. The fact is that a bite can provoke numbness of a limb, a severe allergic reaction, or even a heart attack. In any case, you should stand firmly on land. Next, you need to remove the remnants of the tentacles of the jellyfish. Do not do this with bare hands, you can burn your fingers. Gently scrape off the remains of the tentacles with the blunt side of the knife, nail file, razor.
A solution of soda, salt or just sea water will help reduce pain and neutralize poison. Then put a compress with apple cider vinegar or ammonia on a jellyfish burn. This will remove excess toxins from the wound. You can apply cold to a sore spot, this will also reduce pain. After completing all the steps described above, take any antihistamine (Suprastin, Fenistil, and so on). Do not drink alcohol, but drink more fluids (water, juice, fruit drinks and fruit drinks).
Jellyfish burn: treatment with improvised means
After first aid, the burn must be treated. There are many ways to do this. Let us first consider the means of rescue available.
- Baking soda paste. It is necessary to mix a spoonful of soda, a spoonful of fine salt and add a little water. It should be gruel. Put it on the affected area and wait until it dries completely. Then carefully scrape it off (no need to rinse with water). Soda and salt will help speed healing and remove toxins from the wound.
- Pasta made from flour. A spoonful of flour is mixed with a pinch of salt and water. The resulting mixture is put on a burn, fixed with a bandage for about two hours. Such treatment quickly removes the poison from the wound and heals it.
- Carrot. Grated carrot compress is very effective. You need to wear it for an hour several times a day.
Pharmaceutical ointments for the treatment of a jellyfish burn
Modern pharmacies offer many creams and ointments that quickly treat the effects of meetings with jellyfish. Such forms of treatment are especially good for children, the elderly and those with chronic diseases, allergies. How to choose the right tool in the pharmacy? Focus on the degree of burn, the composition of the ointment, and, of course, on your wallet.
- "Panthenol" is suitable for the treatment of mild burns. It contains vitamins E, A and lanolin. This speeds up wound healing.
- Bepanten contains vitamin B5. Helps to eliminate pain, burning, helps the epidermis regenerate faster.
- Dermoveit is able to narrow the capillaries, which reduces redness and itching. Quickly relieves inflammation. If you apply the cream immediately after meeting with a jellyfish, then the bubbles will not even appear on the skin.
- Afloderm relieves itching and inflammation. It treats any burns (including chemical, solar). Prevents the appearance of bubbles at the site of the lesion.
- "Belogent" - a powerful tool that combines antibiotic and hormone. It treats a jellyfish burn, relieving inflammation. Prevents the penetration of infections in the wound.
- "Trimistin" eliminates itching, redness and inflammation. It also has an antihistamine effect.
What are the popular ways to treat a jellyfish bite?
There are many popular ways to treat any disease. But you should take them seriously and not rush to do everything in a row. For example, urinotherapy does not help cure a burn. Salts in the urine do not remove toxins and do not contribute to wound healing. So, you got a jellyfish burn. What to do following traditional medicine recipes? They will help you:
- Tomatoes Cut the fetus, place on a sore spot and secure with a bandage. Jellyfish venom is an alkaline environment, on the basis of this, you need to use products that contain acid.
- Lemon juice. Dampen gauze with juice and apply to the burn. Then it will be nice to squeeze the contents of the vitamin E capsule onto the skin and gently lubricate.
- Goose fat. It treats a jellyfish burn, a photo of which you can see in this article. It restores the epidermis and heals the wound. But you should remember that you can apply any oils and fats only after first aid for a burn! After greasing the skin with fat, apply a dry gauze dressing on top.
- Starch. Dilute a spoonful of starch with cow's milk to a thick paste. Apply the product on a burn for about half an hour. Carefully remove residues.
When are pills and injections needed to treat a jellyfish burn?
If the jellyfish, the meeting with which occurred at sea, was too poisonous and dangerous, if the area of skin lesion is large or there is a strong reaction to a burn, ointments and folk remedies will not help. It is necessary to connect "heavy artillery." Naturally, no one has canceled first aid and ointments, but antihistamines are also required. A burn after jellyfish is treated with various tablets, syrups. Among them:
- "Fenistil" - blocks the body's response to an irritant. Take capsules (or drops) in combination with an external gel three times a day for a week.
- "Suprastin" is one of the most famous antihistamines that act quickly.
- Eden is a syrup suitable for older people and people with heart disease.
- "No-shpa" - an injection in combination with an antihistamine is used to prevent seizures, anaphylactic shock.
- Medopred is used for anaphylactic shock and Quincke's edema.
Only a doctor can administer a corticosteroid! Most often, such an injection is necessary after meeting with a dangerous purple jellyfish.
Burn from jellyfish: what can not be treated?
Some actions can only increase discomfort after a meeting with a resident of the sea. Do not grease the burn with fat before first aid. This will increase the temperature of the skin at the burn site and clog the cells. Oil lotions should be set aside. No need to disinfect the burn with alcohol solutions (and drinks), brilliant green or iodine. The skin is already too irritated. Do not scratch or massage the sore spot, so you can carry the poison even further through the body.
Dangerous jellyfish
The best prevention of burns is to avoid any jellyfish at sea. However, most of them (especially on the Black Sea coast) are safe. How to recognize a dangerous jellyfish?
- Tsianeya - a huge jellyfish, in diameter reaching two meters. The color is bright (usually purple or blue). Due to the large size of the jellyfish, burns usually have a large area.
- Cornerot has a transparent body with purple or blue veins.
- The cross has a transparent body with a distinguishable pattern in the form of a cross in the upper part.
- Sea wasp is a particularly dangerous jellyfish found off the coast of Australia. There is so much poison in her body that she can kill 50 people. It differs from other jellyfish in a square body.
After meeting with any poisonous jellyfish, you need to see a doctor. And remember: a jellyfish burn may not occur immediately, and unpleasant consequences will overtake you in double size if you do not provide first aid.