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At first glance, the jellyfish looks like jelly which looks harmless. In fact, being stung by a jellyfish can be painful. However, the existence of this marine animal is often not realized when someone is playing in the sea, so many people are often stung.
Most jellyfish stings tend to be harmless, even if they are painful. After all, some jellyfish release powerful toxins into the skin and can infect the body. If not immediately allowed, this can endanger humans and even cause death. So, how do you get first aid when you get a jellyfish sting?
They said urine can heal stings, is that true?
Many people say that jellyfish stings can be cured by urinating over the sting. But unfortunately, this is just a myth mere.
Nematocytes are jellyfish skin cells that contain toxins and are scattered along the jellyfish tentacles. Once the jellyfish feels threatened, these tentacles will move to attack, sting, and transfer toxins to the bodies of other organisms. People who are stung by jellyfish will experience several symptoms, such as skin itching, burning, throbbing, and blisters.
According to Joseph Burnett, a dermatologist at the University of Maryland Medical Center, salt water can help deactivate toxic nematocytes that are still lingering in the body, while fresh water has the opposite effect, which is to exacerbate the spread of toxins.
Well, many think that urine is similar to salt water and can be an antidote to jellyfish stings. It is true, urine contains a lot of salt and electrolytes. However, the concentration of urine that is too dilute will be similar to fresh water.
If the urine, which tends to be like fresh water, is poured on the part of the body that was stung by a jellyfish, this will make the spread of the poison even more widespread and the part of the body that was stung even more painful.
The tentacles of jellyfish contain a certain amount of salt concentration. If this part is given fresh water or urine, the salt concentration outside the jellyfish tentacles will also dissolve and make the fluid concentration in the tentacles unbalanced.
As a result, this triggers the jellyfish's tentacles to release more venom.
How to treat body parts affected by jellyfish stings
A recent study published in the international journal Toxins in 2017 has found a simple remedy that can help reduce pain from jellyfish stings. When you get stung by a jellyfish, immediately do the steps below, including:
- Immediately remove body parts from salt water or sea water so that the pain does not get worse.
- Wash the affected area with vinegar (acetic acid) water to inactivate the nematocytes and stop the flow of toxins.
- Gently remove the tentacles that are attached to the skin while continuing to wash the area with the vinegar water. Use gloves, plastic, or tweezers so you don't catch poison from the jellyfish.
- Soak the body part that was stung by the jellyfish in water with a temperature of 45 degrees Celsius for 40 minutes.
- Don't scratch the sting occasionally, as this will release more toxins into your body.
Jellyfish stings can also cause severe allergic reactions or anaphylactic shock which can harm the body. When a person has severe allergies, some of the symptoms that may arise are as follows:
- Difficulty breathing
- Dizzy
- Rash that spreads quickly
- Nausea
- Heart rate increases
- Muscle spasms
- Loss of consciousness
If a person experiences this when he is stung by a jellyfish, he must immediately be taken to a doctor for further treatment. Immediately call the emergency number 118/119 or call an ambulance from the nearest hospital. If he is having trouble breathing, immediately give rescue breaths or perform CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) as first aid until medical aid arrives.
