First aid & jelly fish on the beach

Here is the official advice:

• rinse the affected area with seawater (not fresh water)
• remove any spines from the skin using tweezers or the edge of a bank card</p>
• soak the area in very warm water (as hot as can be tolerated) for at least 30 minutes – use hot flannels or towels if you cannot soak it
• take painkillers like paracetamol or ibuprofen

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/jellyfish-and-other-sea-creature-stings/

And here is what I was taught:
1. Rinse the sting with seawater or create a paste of baking soda and seawater to get rid of the tentacles. If you’re able to, bathe the area in heated tap water or take a warm shower.

2. Remove any leftover tentacles with a dry towel. If the tentacles are difficult to remove, try coating them with shaving cream, then shaving them off with a razor or credit card. Protect your hands with gloves if possible.

3. Protect the site of the sting. Avoid pressure and contact with sand.

4. Taking pain relievers like ibuprofen or applying antihistamines or steroid creams (like cortisone) can lessen the pain, itching, and swelling. In Australia, most lifeguard teams are equipped with morphine and antivenoms to treat the nastier stings from Down Under.

5 Things to Know about Jellyfish at the Beach

These days I always take wound spray with me and I find it works better.   Not that I get stung a lot.  Maybe once in the last 30 years.

https://www.elastoplast.co.uk/products/wound-care/wound-spray

I cant say the same for mussel shells and the reason I never walk bare foot on the beach. Razor sharp and broken.. they can be hard to spot.  One of these in the sole of your foot really hurt.

If it ever stops raining….. have fun on the beach and keep your flip flops on.   Nothing in the sea wants to meet you and will run once they sense you.

• This topic was modified 3 years, 5 months ago by  Mr Fishy.

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