"On the abandoned beach, shellfish and crustaceans." In her song "La Madrague", Brigitte Bardot forgot to mention vivid, sea urchins and jellyfish. And for good reason, these are not the creatures on which vacationers prefer to come across when they venture to the water's edge. However, they are very present and a bite quickly arrived. In the program "Sans Rendez-Vous", on Monday, Doctor Damien Mascret returned to these little summer sores and gave some advice to treat the pain.
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In the event of a live bite, get out of the water immediately
La vive is a fish that is found all around the French coast and which, for its part, "lives buried in the sand at very shallow depth", he begins by recalling. "The problem is that it lets its dorsal fin stick out and if you walk or put your hand on it, it hurts." The fin rises and its small spines indeed diffuse venom.
The first thing to do is therefore to get out of the water, insists Damien Mascret. Beyond the pain, the venom has indeed on the body. "We generally stay nauseous for a good half hour, we can even have general reactions with dizziness, vomiting, headache." Staying in water can therefore cause drowning.
The venom of the living being sensitive to heat, it is possible, for example, to approach a cigarette close to the skin, of course without burning it. Or put your foot in 45 ° water to relieve. "We can also practice thermal shock with a heat source first and then by approaching ice cubes in a cloth," adds the specialist. Finally, to avoid any risk of secondary infection, it is essential to clean and disinfect the wound, but also to check that the tetanus vaccines are up to date.
Carefully remove the sea urchin spines
With a sea urchin bite, disinfection is also essential and you should not hesitate to consult a doctor if the area turns red. But we must add to this the need to remove the thorn, which is not obvious. "Sea urchin spines are very difficult to remove because they break very easily. You will have to take your time. One of the most recognized methods is to dip your skin in hot water to soften it" and facilitate extraction, explains Damien Mascret. Then simply scrape the skin with a small needle to release the thorn, to be caught with tweezers. "And be careful to shoot well in the axis, otherwise it breaks."
Finally, for those who would be tempted to use urine to dissolve the calcium carbonate that makes up the thorns, no need to go that far, according to the doctor. "Vinegar or lemon juice is still more practical." Just pour it on the splinter several times a day. It is also possible to put a layer of petroleum jelly and an occlusive dressing over it so that the spine comes out. For sea urchins as well as the sea urchins, wearing rubber shoes also helps prevent bites and can be a good solution for young children in particular.
No urine on jellyfish stings
Nor is urine, contrary to popular belief, the solution against jellyfish stings. Vinegar is also "completely useless", warns Damien Mascret. "On the contrary, it will worsen the pain." Just like pouring fresh water, "you're going to pop the stinging capsules."
So what to do? "Put sand or shaving foam on the wound, which you will scrape off afterwards." We let you guess which of these two elements is easier to find at the beach.