Jelly Fish Sting

Seek immediate medical treatment if the person stung has:

• Difficulty breathing, difficulty swallowing, chest pain, or intense pain at the site of the sting..
• If the person has been stung in the mouth or placed tentacles in their mouth and are having voice changes, difficulty swallowing, or swelling of the tongue or lips. If the sting happened to someone who is very young or old. If the sting involves a large area of the body, the face, or genitals.

If the patient continues to have itching, redness, pain, swelling of the skin (cellulitis) around the sting, see a doctor. The doctor may prescribe:

• diphenhydramine (Benadryl) to help with the itching,
• pain medication for pain, and/or
• Topical steroids or steroids by mouth to help with the swelling and itching.
• The doctor may also prescribe antibiotics if the patient has cellulites. Take all medications as directed and until they are gone.

If it has been longer than 10 years since the patient's last tetanus shot.

Prevention

Wear protective clothing (gloves, wet suits, dive skins) when swimming in jellyfish-infested areas. Avoid picking up dead jellyfish. Dead jellyfish may still have live nematocysts that can still release toxins (even after they have dried up).

• Avoid going into known jellyfish-infested areas. If you do, know what type of jellyfish are common to the area.
• Be prepared to treat a jellyfish sting. Have a basic first aid kit (make sure it has an oral antihistamine in the kit) prepared and bring it with you.
• Take a course in basic first aid before heading to the beach, snorkeling, swimming, or scuba diving.
• In the evening or at night when swimming, snorkeling, or scuba diving, take care to look for jellyfish on the surface of the water.
• Expel air from the alternate air source while ascending during scuba diving to disburse any jellyfish directly above you.
• Educate yourself as to the type of jellyfish that may be in the waters in which you are swimming, snorkeling, or scuba diving.
• Bring Safe Sea Jellyfish After Sting® pain relief gel in case you do get stung.
• Do not swim in waters where large numbers of jellyfish have been reported. Wearing a wet suit or Lycra dive skin can prevent stings.

If you have a known insect sting allergy carry an allergy kit, which contains injectable epi-pens (epinephrine, adrenaline). Make sure those with you know how to administer the epi-pen in case you are unable to do so.

Do not touch any marine life while swimming, snorkeling, or scuba diving. Most marine animals have a protective coating that when touched, is rubbed off when and exposes the animal to bacteria and parasites; moreover, touching, "playing," or moving marine animals is stressful for them. Corals are easily damaged when touched and the area if the coral touched by hands, fins, or the body will die. To protect the ocean environment, when swimming, snorkeling, or scubadiving look, don't touch, and leave only bubbles.