Have you ever got a jellyfish sting? That would certainly be a horrible experience to have. If you have not, then it might make you curious. Well, you must not go to the sea and get a sting of jellyfish to meet the curiosity.
A jellyfish sting is more dangerous than it sounds. On many beaches, there has a separate jellyfish warning mentioned. Especially, people who love swimming and diving in seawater should be more conscious about them.
In the Philippines, about 40 people a year die from this jellyfish sting. Even nearly 19 million people worldwide gets stung by jellyfish per year.
Some of the stings get well by home treatment, and some of them require serious medications.
However, many people get confused about jellyfish stings. If you know what a jellyfish sting feels like, you might get the proper medication at the right time.
Where do jellyfish stings come from?
Jellyfish stings come from their stinging cells. This cell is situated on the tentacles of the fish.
However, the correct answer will vary depending on the type of jellyfish. If it is bell-shaped, the stings will mostly come from nematocysts. The nematocysts release a particular kind of venom. Thai venom generally includes protein in them.
And this venom is apparently responsible for the pain, allergic reaction and other side effects. Jellyfish releasing toxins is strong enough to kill a human in minutes. But this situation is not for all. If the victim has an allergy to that protein-based venom, they can die in minutes.
However, there is nothing to panic about if you don’t have any allergic issues. The stings will undoubtedly give you major pain, but you can quickly treat them with some medications. In most cases, people don’t even see the doctor.
How do jellyfish stings?
It is not always that if you go to seawater, the jellyfish will suddenly come to attack you. They are not looking forward to attacking anyone. It’s because when the waves are enormous, the jellyfish can come to the beach.
And then, if anyhow their nerves get triggered they will string. The ocean water rushes in their cells, and that sting venom comes out. If that venom comes in contact with your skin, there will be an instant reaction. That is because the venom might have entered your skin and reached the bloodstream.
However, not all jellyfish have that dangerous type of venom.
The best thing here is to maintain proper consciousness to avoid jellyfish stings.
What does a jellyfish sting feel like? : Symptoms
How a jellyfish sting will feel will depend only on what type of jellyfish has stung you. Some of them have life-threatening venom, and some of the strings can be easily cured at home.
The stinging paint will also vary depending on victims’ age and health condition. A jellyfish sting is more dangerous for children and older people.
How much time the jellyfish has held will also cause an effect. The more the skin is exposed to the jellyfish, the more the paint will be more prominent.
However, there are some basic symptoms that will determine that you’ve been really stung by jellyfish.
Symptoms of jellyfish sting:
- Firstly you’ll experience a burning and pricking pain on the stung area of your skin.
- The skin will turn reddish. The tracks can also be brown and purple.
- You’ll be experiencing throbbing pain over your legs
- You skin you swallow instantly there will be itching
- You’ll be feeling tingling numbness over the stung area.
- You might feel nausea and vomit
- You can have breathing issues as well
- Dizziness is also common for many
- Jellyfish can trigger heart issues for human
Note: There are different types of fish in the seawater. You will get box jellyfish, Portuguese/ bluebottle jellyfish, sea nettle, lion’s man and etc. Each of these has different venoms in them. And how the sting will feel also depends on which jellyfish has stung you.
Prevention of jellyfish stings:
The very first thing to try is avoiding jellyfish strings. If you’re a frequent swimmer/ diver, wear proper swimsuits.
The proper swimsuits are protective enough to keep you safe from such stings. It’s also better if you don’t go on seawater during jellyfish season.
For more accurate information, you might consult with the lifeguard/ experts on the beach.
Treatment of jellyfish stings:
A jellyfish sting can be cured both at home and in hospital.
The instant medication you can try with hot water/ urine. This helps to bear the extreme pain of jellyfish sting. Take a towel and use hot water/ urine and dampen it. Use that damp towel and place it over the sting area.
This method helps to cure the burning sensation primarily. Then, you must take a hot water bath immediately if possible.
You can also use vinegar to deal with the sting pain.
Generally, the doctor suggests using antivenin medications for major stings. The jellyfish antivenin is found in hospitals easily.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Question: What type of jellyfish sting can cause death?
Answer: There ha different types of jellyfish with different venom inside their cells. The most dangerous type of jellyfish is box jellyfish. It is also known as Chironex Fleckeri, and its venom can lead the victim towards death in a few minutes only.
Question: How long does it take to kill a human by jellyfish sting?
Answer: If the jellyfish venom is strong enough and it gets on the blood cells of humans, the victim can die in minutes. On average, a human can survive only 20 minutes after a strong sting attack of jellyfish.
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Final Words:
A jellyfish sting is a widespread issue people suffer from. However, it is not always selfish if you’ve gone to seawater and got stewing. The common symptoms can quickly determine what do jellyfish’s stings feel like. It depends on what type of jellyfish venom has reached your skin. The jellyfish sting is undoubtedly intense. You must maintain proper precautions for that. If you’ve already been stung, don’t be late for the appropriate medication immediately.
