Summer Jellyfish stings and other summer 'bugs'
Stings What to do if you are stung by a jellyfish, even a Portuguese man-of-war
Few animals arouse as much fascination and fear as jellyfish at the same time.
One more year they have reached our beaches and, also one more year, the myths about how to treat their bites are once again trending topic.
Who hasn't ever heard that the best way to treat jellyfish stings is with urine?
Although the famous scene from the series 'Friends' with Joey and Monica has done a lot of damage, the good news for everyone -because I think it is good news- is that, no matter how deeply rooted we have this myth in the collective imagination, the best place for urine remains the toilet.
Jellyfish: they were not born yesterday
It is one of the oldest "living creatures" on our planet, as records of jellyfish dating back more than 500 million years have been found.
Our friends spend their days suspended in the water and, for at least part of their life cycle, they often live in swarms.
This helps them to reproduce, to better defend themselves against predators, and also to better capture prey.
Come on, in the life "in commune" of the jellyfish all are advantages.
Swarms can reach high densities, up to more than 10 large jellyfish (more than 15 cm in diameter) per cubic meter.
What are they like and why do they "sting"?
On the one hand, they have their characteristic bell-shaped structure where the stomach and gonads are housed.
From this bell, which is called an umbrella (similar to "umbrella" in English), the dreaded tentacles come out.
This is where it gets interesting.
The tentacles have stinging cells, called "cnidocytes", which contain one of the most powerful poisons in the animal kingdom.
By simple contact with the prey the cells shoot and "sting".
What are the symptoms of a jellyfish sting?
The good news is that with most bites, no serious symptoms will develop.
Yes, it is common to feel some itching, stinging, pain and inflammation.
In addition to the redness, sometimes vesicles and blisters appear that could leave scars.
Although not common, nausea, vomiting, cramps, or even anaphylactic shock can also occur.
Are there jellyfish in Spain whose sting is deadly?
Peace of mind up front!
Although it is true that jellyfish can produce undesirable and sometimes serious reactions, most of them resolve without great damage to regret.
However, one of the most unpleasant is the so-called Portuguese Caravel (Physalia physalis) considered perhaps the most dangerous on our coasts.
It has a high concentration of stinging cells with a venom that has neurotoxic, cytotoxic, and cardiotoxic properties.
If its tentacles get in our way in the first place, great pain and burning occurs as well.
like lacerations on the skin.
In more severe cases, a neurogenic shock could occur caused by the intense pain, with the consequent danger of drowning.
With jellyfish, size matters
The virulence of the bite largely depends on the surface of the skin that has been attacked.
That is to say, it is not the same as the jellyfish "touches you a little", that it catches you completely.
And in this the size of the jellyfish has a lot to say.
On the one hand, we have jellyfish like Pelagia noctiluca, with long tentacles and a high density of stinging cells per centimeter (up to 100,000).
On the other hand, there are also less dangerous ones, with short tentacles such as Cothylorriza tuberculata (also known as Mediterranean jellyfish or fried egg jellyfish).
First aid: What should we do if we are stung by a jellyfish?
The first thing to do is get out of the water and rinse the affected area with seawater. Important! We should not wash with fresh water (neither tap nor bottled). We will always do it with sea water because it is the usual medium where jellyfish are found. Washing the area with other substances could activate the stinging cells. Secondly, we will remove the tentacles and spicules from the skin, if possible dragging with the edge of a credit card (with the tweezers we could leave traces of tentacles attached). Even if it stings, it is very important to avoid the temptation to scratch and rub, both with your hands and with towels or other clothing. This way we will prevent the poison from entering the bloodstream. If we do not have these resources at hand, we have doubts, or the bite has occurred on the face or genitals,remember that we can go to the aid stations.
Is it necessary to apply any drug?
To relieve the itching and pain, you can consider applying some soothing cream (your pharmacist can help you choose the best option) and oral anti-inflammatories.
If it is necessary to apply topical corticosteroids, let us remember that, although they generally require a prescription, there are low-potency hydrocortisone presentations that can be bought at the pharmacy without a prescription.
It is very important to take care of the wound until it heals, isolate it from the sun and, above all, avoid being bitten by a jellyfish again the rest of the summer.
In this case the consequences could be more serious since the body has been sensitized to the poison and an anaphylactic-type reaction could take place.
If the problems persist (severe pain that does not go away) we should consult with our doctor.
Myths and legends: urine no, thank you
No clay "plasters", no alcohol, no soapy water, no vinegar, no urine.
We just loaded all of Grandma's remedies in one fell swoop!
And, watch out, it is not only that they are not effective, but, never better said, the remedy could be worse than the disease.
Using "foreign substances" could activate the stinging cells of the jellyfish to continue injecting us with the venom.
What is true between so much myth? It is true that vinegar can be useful in some species such as Physalia physalis but it is contraindicated for bites of other species. If we do not recognize with certainty the bug that has bitten us (something quite probable because I think that few vacationers are experts in jellyfish), we better stay still. Regarding urine, the myth was born because it is true that it contains urea, but there is no scientific evidence that applying urine is effective against jellyfish stings. On the contrary, we run the risk that other compounds in the urine end up damaging the lesion (especially if by chance our donor had a urinary infection or other changes in the urine). I feel the disappointment of those who have ever engaged in eschatological juggling in their lives:I know what you did last summer, but it wasn't necessary. Of course, the laughs with the anecdote are not taken away by anyone.
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