JELLYFISH: The secret is shaving cream

Jellyfish stings need shaving cream.

It is another beautiful Keys day and you’ve decided to go out on the water.  You are snorkeling, diving or just taking a dip in the ocean when you suddenly experience a sharp, piercing pain. JELLYFISH! Although you may not see them, you know when you’ve been hit. There are many old wives’ tales when it comes to treating a jellyfish sting and if you’ve ever been stung you know you would try just about anything to make that awful irritation go away.

Assess the situation. Know when to call 9-1-1. If the sting covers a great deal of your body/genitals/eyes, or triggers an allergic reaction that causes difficulty in breathing or heart palpitations, seek help immediately.

It’s very likely you may have tentacles still attached, even if you can’t see them, and touching them will only encourage the tentacles to release more of the stinging chemical. Often a boat will shred a school of jellyfish, killing them, but even in a shredded state their stingers are still functional. This is how many people get stung, though they never saw the jellyfish that stung them.

Helpful remedies:

  • Apply shaving cream. After you’ve been stung, the jellyfish stinging cells can continue to cause pain if you activate them. When you apply shaving cream, the jellyfish cells release the painful stinging chemicals into the cream. You then carefully scrape off the cream using something hard like a credit card.
  • Rinse with vinegar to neutralize the sting.
  • Create a baking soda paste by mixing baking soda and a little water to create a thick paste. Slather area with the paste and let dry. The baking soda will draw the stinging chemical into the paste.

After you’ve removed the stinging cells, try applying some aloe vera gel. Typically used to treat sunburns, research shows it helps soothe and relieve pain associated with jellyfish stings as well. Hot water and/or cold packs can help relieve pain.

Remember to stay calm. If the above remedies do not help and/or you are experiencing extreme discomfort, seek out your local emergency room or urgent care for further treatment.

What NOT to do:

  • Pee on it.
  • Use meat tenderizer.
  • Pour gas on it.
  • Soak it in fresh water.

—   Kim Bassett is a registered nurse and health care executive with more than 25 years experience. To see her full bio, visit www.kimbassettceo.com.

Sara Matthis thinks community journalism is important, but not serious; likes weird and wonderful children (she has two); and occasionally tortures herself with sprint-distance triathlons, but only if she has a good chance of beating her sister.