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16 Natural Home Remedies For Jellyfish Stings

People who are diving, wading, or swimming in seawaters have increased chances to be stung by jellyfish. These stings can vary in severity. In most cases, they result in immediate pain and red, irritated marks on the skin.

There are some cases when the jellyfish stings can cause people more whole-body illness. There are cases when jellyfish stings can be life-threatening.

Symptoms of Jellyfish stings

The most common symptoms of jellyfish stings are next throbbing pain that radiates up a leg or an arm; swelling; itching; red, brown, or purplish tracks on the skin; burning, prickling, stinging pain.

Also, there can be signs and symptoms of the severe jellyfish sting, such as heart problems; stomach pain, nausea, and vomiting; difficulty breathing; muscle pain or spasms; weakness, drowsiness, fainting, and confusion. There are some factors which can increase your risk of getting stung by jellyfish, such as swimming or diving in jellyfish areas without protective clothing; swimming in a place known to have many jellyfish; playing or sunbathing where jellyfish are washed up on the beach; swimming at times when jellyfish appear in large numbers (a jellyfish bloom).

The severity of the reaction depends on how long you were exposed to the stingers; the type and size of the jellyfish; how much of your skin is affected; your health, size, and age, with severe reactions more likely in people with weak health and children. You need to talk with your doctor if you have been stung by jellyfish before you start using some of the below-mentioned home remedies.

16 home remedies for jellyfish stings

Ice can help you to get relief from the jellyfish sting

This is a very popular home remedy to soothe the pain quickly. It may not be the most effective home remedy which can help you to get relief from the jellyfish sting immediately after you get this problem. But after the stinging has less or more subsided then you should apply an icepack onto the affected skin area because this will head off the inflammation and numb the pain [1]. You can easily find the ice at your home.

jellyfish sting vinegar

Vinegar can rid of the jellyfish sting on your body

This is one of the most effective home remedies which can be used by people who have been stung by jellyfish. You can apply vinegar for staying safe and to rid of the jellyfish sting on your body.

The vinegar has acid which can help to prevent the venom from spreading inside your body [2]. You should use the vinegar to apply to the affected area because this can help to reduce the sting and to prevent the venom from getting inside your skin cells. You should apply vinegar directly to the affected area because in this way you will prevent the venom from spreading to any other part of your body immediately. Also, you can use apple cider vinegar to get relief from the pain and itchiness caused by the jellyfish sting.

Rinse the sting area with seawater

When you are out of the water, you should rinse the affected area with saltwater to wash away any stinging tissue or clinging tentacles. You should not rub the affected area with a towel after rising because it can activate any remaining stingers.

Do not apply alcohol to the affected area

You should not apply alcohol to the stung area because this can cause the nematocysts to discharge even more venom which will lead to a painful experience.

Rest

You should rest after you have been stung by jellyfish. Also, you should monitor the affected area. If the rash develops or you start to have difficulty breathing, then you should visit your doctor as soon as possible.

Baking soda

This home remedy has anti-bacterial properties which can help to reduce the pain, especially when it is caused by jellyfish stings.

You should mix one teaspoon of salt with three tablespoons of baking soda.

You should add one glass of water to this mixture to form a thick paste.

You should apply this paste directly all over your affected area to get relief from the feel of itchy skin. You should use salt water to make the paste of baking soda without adding any freshwater because the freshwater can stimulate toxins and this can make your condition worse. You need to apply this natural cure two times per day because in this way you will get the best results.

Get out of the water as calmly as possible

You should seek land as soon as you are stung because in this way you are reducing your chances of being repeatedly stung and to begin the treatment. When you get out of the water, you should try not to scratch the sting – site or touch it with your hands. Maybe there are tentacles still attached to your skin and if you touch or itch them, then this will get you stung more.

Chamomile

This natural cure is a part of the daisy family. Some studies are said that this natural cure has anti-inflammatory properties which can control the immune response and also it is effective as hydrocortisone which is the main active ingredient in topical steroid creams. This natural cure can be used for many different inflammatory skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis.

These anti-inflammatory properties can be used as an alternative to steroid creams. It can be applied to soothe the pain and inflammation that are caused by a jellyfish’s stings. [3,4]

Remove the remaining stingers

You should use tweezers to remove the remaining stingers and you should carefully pluck them out.

Aloe Vera gel can be used to treat jellyfish sting

Aloe Vera gel is very popular for sunburns but also it can be used as a natural treatment for jellyfish stings [5].

You should apply the gel extracted from Aloe Vera leaves all over the jellyfish sting and you should let it stay there for a few hours. This can soothe your skin and it will prevent the itchy sensation that happened in the stung area. You can easily find this gel in markets but it is better to extract it from the Aloe Vera leaf.

Carefully scrape off any remaining tentacles

After you have rinsed the sting, you should scrape off the remaining tentacle using a plastic object, such as the edge of the credit card. You should not rub away the tentacles using a towel or cloth because this can cause more stinging cells to fire. You should stay extremely still while you are removing the tentacles. It is a known fact that the more you move around while you are attempting to remove the jellyfish tentacles, then the more venom is released. If you are experiencing shock, then someone needs to call emergency services and you should try to calm yourself as much as possible.

Lemon juice instant relief from the jellyfish stings

This natural cure will give you instant relief from the jellyfish stings. It is very famous for its amazing health and beauty benefits for people. Not many people know that lemon juice is a powerful home remedy for many skin diseases in which jellyfish sting is also included [6].

You should extract the lemon juice from the lemon and then apply it directly to the wound. You should apply this home remedy right away because in this way you will be able to relieve the stingers from the jellyfish stings. This home remedy can soothe the pain caused by the jellyfish sting. Also, you should mix the lemon juice with a little salt and then apply this home remedy directly to the affected area.

You need to rid of any poisoned materials

You should throw away anything which can still have stinging cells on it, such as clothing that may have tentacles on it or objects used to scrape off the tentacles. In this way, you are reducing your chances that you will accidentally sting yourself again.

You should avoid applying fresh water to the jellyfish stings

It is a known fact that most jellyfish stings happen in seawater. The stinging cells have large concentrations of saltwater. When there is any change to the solution of saltwater in the nematocysts (stinging cells), then this will cause the venom cells to fire and the freshwater is doing this. This is a reason why you should apply seawater to the stung area.

Hot bath/shower

There are some studies in which is said that the high temperature can deactivate the venom [1,2]. There was one study which was done on 96 swimmers and in this study was said that this natural cure can decrease the pain at ten and twenty minutes post-treatment with hot water immersion at 45°C compared to the ice packs.

Using meat tenderizer

You should make a paste of meat tenderizer and you should apply it around the jellyfish sting to get relief from the pain that has happened by this sting. This home remedy has the ability to bring down any kind of intense pain and also it can act against the venom from spreading to the other parts of your body.

References:

[1] Wilcox CL, Yanagihara AA. Heated debates: Hot-water immersion or ice packs as first aid for cnidarian envenomations? Toxins. 2016;8(4):97.

[2] Doyle TK, Headlam J, Wilcox C, et al. Evaluation of Cyanea capillata sting management protocols using ex vivo and in vitro envenomation models. Toxins. 2017;9(7):215.

[3] Miraj S, Alesaeidi S. A systematic review study of therapeutic effects of Matricaria recuitta chamomile (chamomile). Electronic Physician. 2016;8(9):3024-31.

[4] Wu Yn, Xu Y, Yao L. Anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic effects of German chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla L.). Journal of Essential Oil Bearing Plants. 2012;15(1):75-83.

[5] Surjushe A, Vasani R, Saple DG. Aloe vera: A short review. Indian Journal of Dermatology. 2008;53(4):163-6.

[6] Oguwike FN, Onubueze DPM. Evaluation of efficacy of lemon juice extract
(Citrius Lemoni Risso) on wound healing and haemostatic mechanism of Albino wister rats. International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR). 2013;2(9):190-3.

Neem Mayur
Neem Mayur
Mayur Neem, a certified dietician having more than 5 years of experience in the field of diet practice. He is working as a diet expert and offering services to body builders, sports persons, celebrities, etc. He is lover of natural remedies and loves to spend most of his free time in his organic farm and offers expert advice on organic farming to local farmers. He is available through [email protected]

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