Once the tentacles are removed, soak the area in hot but not scalding water for 20 to 45 minutes. 4. If hot water is not available, apply a cold pack to help the pain. Don't apply ice directly to unprotected skin.
Heat is the key
“And if you Google it, many sites —even those considered reputable—will tell you to put ice on a sting to dull the pain. But research to date has shown that all marine venoms are highly heat sensitive, thus hot water or hot packs should be more effective than cold packs or ice.”
Hot water inactivates the jellyfish toxins and so stops the pain; it is effective in about 90% of cases after 20 minutes.
To help reduce the pain, you can put calamine lotion or hydrocortisone cream on a jellyfish sting. You can also use an ice pack or hot water to help with the pain and swelling.
Chesapeake Bay Jellyfish (Sea Nettle) - Baking Soda Rinse To Stop The Stinging: Rinse area with a mixture of sea water and baking soda for 15 minutes. This stops the stingers from stinging if still attached to the skin.
Baking soda, shaving cream, soap, lemon juice, alcohol and cola yielded similar results. Although vinegar is used for many other jellyfish stings, the man o' war has long been considered an exception, with many guidelines warning against its use.
If you are stung by a jellyfish, you should:
Soak the skin in hot water. Avoid cold water.
Most jellyfish stings get better over a few days or weeks with home treatment. Severe reactions likely need emergency medical care.
Jellyfish stings make raised, red welts that develop along the site of the sting. The welts may last for 1 to 2 weeks, and itchy skin rashes may appear 1 to 4 weeks after the sting.
Vinegar inactivates the jelly's nematocysts so they can't fire, which means they won't be able to hurt you any worse. Once you treat the injury with vinegar, you'll still have to remove the stingers with tweezers.
After you remove the tentacles, soak the affected area in hot water (104-113 F or 40-45 C) for at least 20 minutes. If you don't have a thermometer, make sure the water is hot but not scalding. A hot shower is OK if that's easier than soaking. Stay in the water for 20 to 45 minutes.
Apply vitamin E or aloe vera juice to heal tissue and reduce inflammation.
They showed that at temperatures over 43 °C, venom lost its lethality more rapidly the longer the exposure time.
A delayed reaction can occur many times over the course of 1 to 2 months following a sting. You may have a fever, weakness, or joint stiffness or swelling. Medical treatment may ease the discomfort and prevent complications from a delayed reaction.
One of the main causes of this discomfort is a type of protein called a porin found in the venom of all jellyfish—and in all their relatives, including corals and anemones, which together form a group of creatures collectively known as cnidarians.
Treat itching with an over-the-counter anti-itch cream and/or an antihistamine, such as diphenhydramine (Benadryl®). If itching is severe, see a doctor for a stronger preparation. See a doctor if someone is stung in the mouth, in or near the eye, on a large area of skin, or on the genital region.
Irukandji jellyfish's stings are so severe they can cause fatal brain hemorrhages and on average send 50-100 people to the hospital annually. Robert Drewe describes the sting as "100 times as potent as that of a cobra and 1,000 times stronger than a tarantula's".
Two days after a jellyfish sting, the skin will have started to heal. It will still show faint tentacle marks. If you have a hypersensitivity reaction, you may notice a rash or hives. 1 These can usually be treated with oral antihistamines or corticosteroids.
Often, it's best to rinse a sting with vinegar. Vinegar is a weak acid that might keep the stingers from firing for some kinds of stings (especially from dangerous types like box jellyfish). Do not rinse with fresh water (like tap or bottled water) because that can make more stingers fire.
Vinegar. Why it helps: Wasp stings are less acidic as bee stings and have more of an alkalinity. Therefore, the acidity of the vinegar helps neutralize the alkalinity of the sting.
However, in the event you do come in contact with a jellyfish and are stung, we recommend you help diminish the pain by treating the affected area with ammonia poured over the skin or simply apply meat tenderizer or toothpaste.
Bees, wasps, ants, ticks
All are treated with a cold compress.