The free-swimming stage of cnidarians is called jellyfish or medusa. The vast majority of species of jellyfish are marine life. Only a few species live as freshwater jellyfish in rivers and lakes. Their tentacles covered with stinging cells are characteristic. The nettle cells burst when they come into contact with the skin, injuring it with tiny stiletto-like structures and nettle poison penetrates the skin through the tiny injuries.
Nettle poisons consist of a cocktail of various neurotoxins, which, depending on the type of jellyfish, can cause light burns to immediately life-threatening poisoning with respiratory paralysis and cardiac arrest. At Burn from poisonous jellyfish it is important to know the correct treatment.
How is a jellyfish sting noticeable?
So-called jellyfish stings, also as Jellyfish burns are caused by ruptured stinging cells. The injuries are usually noticeable through burning and painful reddening of the skin, which often leads to local swellings or blisters that are somewhat reminiscent of burns.
Other systemic symptoms such as nausea with vomiting or circulatory collapse have also been observed but are rather rare. In exceptional cases, the ingested neurotoxin can also lead to disorientation and confusion. The process of the "jellyfish sting" is completely passive and automatic when the stinging cells come into contact with the skin.
This means that the stinging cells of separated tentacles remain active for a long time as long as they are not completely dried out. Therefore, extreme caution is required even with stranded jellyfish or individual tentacles. As a precaution, contact with possibly still adhering nettle cells should be avoided.
Four first aid tips
If a jellyfish sting is caused by one of the jellyfish species that are considered dangerous, the first two measures are to call an emergency doctor and leave the water as quickly as possible and at the same time very carefully and carefully. The next step is to rinse off the affected skin areas with warm salt water.
According to more recent findings, contrary to previous recommendations, vinegar should not be used because vinegar does not slow down the activation of the stinging cells, but actually intensifies it, so that up to 50 percent more poison can be released.
Deglaze: shaving foam or shaving gel
The main problem is often to remove any tentacle remnants from the skin without bursting the still attached nettle cells and making the situation worse. For some types of jellyfish, such as the fire jellyfish, which is occasionally seen on different stretches of the Mediterranean, shaving foam is an effective remedy.
The visible tentacles are carefully sprayed with shaving foam. Only after the foam has dried can it be carefully scraped off together with the tentacles. If none of the above tools is available, the adhering tentacles can be covered with dry sand, which is then carefully removed again with the tentacles.
Carefully remove the tentacles from the body
Attempting to remove the tentacles from the skin after one of the suggested pretreatments should not be done with bare hands, but only with gloves. If gloves are not available, a towel can alternatively be used. Knife backs, spatulas or similar objects have proven to be useful instruments for carefully scraping off the remaining tentacles.
These should be guided over the skin at an angle of about 30 degrees. It is important that the object used has an edge that is not too sharp with which the tentacles can be removed. If such items are not available on the beach, a certain creativity is required. For example, credit cards or membership cards in credit card format can also be used.
Pain medication will help
Nettle jellyfish stings can be very painful. It is highly recommended to take pain relievers such as ibuprofen or paracetamol, which are also prescribed for muscle and back pain, to alleviate the symptoms.
What you should absolutely avoid: vinegar, fresh water, alcohol
Under no circumstances should fresh water (drinking water) or carbonated mineral water be used, because due to the osmotic pressure gradient the nettle cells, which are already under pressure, would absorb fresh water. An immediate burst with the effect of further jellyfish stings would be the result. For the above reason, alcohol or an alcoholic drink must not be used to wash off the affected areas of the skin; only salt water is used.
As explained above, the earlier recommendation to rinse off jellyfish burns with vinegar was absolutely counterproductive because the stinging cells are not - as previously assumed - inactivated by the vinegar, but even more poison.
According to the latest scientific findings, it is therefore imperative not to use vinegar under any circumstances, not even when stings by the highly poisonous box jellyfish or "sea wasp". Earlier recommendations to treat jellyfish burns with human urine if necessary are obviously no longer tenable.
The aftercare
After all tentacles and their stinging cells have been removed, the “burned” skin areas can be cleaned with warm fresh water and possibly protected from infections or mechanical irritation with compresses or a gauze bandage.
Subsequent cooling with ice helps reduce pain and inflammation. To reduce itching and allergic reactions, antihistamines are recommended for external topical use and for internal systemic effects.
Inform about risk areas
Most of the species of jellyfish that can be uncomfortable or dangerous for humans are ocean dwellers. However, ocean currents ensure that certain species are regularly or irregularly washed up near the coast at certain times of the year and that swimmers are confronted with them.
The occurrence of jellyfish is usually known, so that corresponding stretches of beach can be avoided. In the meantime, so-called stinger suits are also offered in Australia, which offer protection against the dangerous box jellyfish and sea wasps, which are mainly found in Australian waters.
Other inhabitants of tropical and subtropical seas are the Portuguese galley and the compass jellyfish. The Mediterranean is not spared either. There are mainly luminous jellyfish (Pelagia noctiluca) as well as hair jellyfish and compass jellyfish. The Portuguese galley (Phisalia physalis) has also been spotted in the Mediterranean, the poisonous cocktail of which can cause serious damage and even cardiac arrest.
