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Saturday, June 16, 2018

Jellyfish irritation: what to do?

Many times a swim at sea can turn out to be a little unpleasant if we come across a jellyfish, an animal with a very charming shape and color, but it is able to prick the man, releasing its stinging substances. So what to do in case of jellyfish irritation? Here then is all there is to know about it and what are the methods to counteract the burning.



What to do in case of jellyfish irritation
WHAT TO DO IN CASE OF JELLYFISH IRRITATION
The jellyfish is a marine animal that belongs to the planktonic species, reproduces through a sexual process giving life to a sort of polyp and is known as an animal with a strong urticating power when its surface comes into contact with human skin. Its function is defensive and its behavior is aimed at paralyzing the prey. For this reason, when it comes into contact with the surface of the jellyfish it causes a strong inflammatory reaction , which can manifest itself through burning, swelling, erythema and sensation of pain .

This reaction is caused by the toxic effect that the liquid contained in the tentacles of the jellyfish releases. The annoyance caused is very variable, but it is always good to know how to behave in case of jellyfish irritation, to know how to act and how to mitigate pain and burning.

The presence of jellyfish in our seas and the critical environmental situation facing the planet are closely related. Accomplices are the temperatures that are gradually rising and fishing methods often nefarious, jellyfish are starting to increasingly popular waters. This means that we have to get used to having to deal more and more often with jellyfish that more and more live our seas compared to the past.



HOW A JELLYFISH APPEARS
The jellyfish is a very beautiful animal from an aesthetic point of view. It is transparent in color or some shades of color that make it very eye-catching. We could compare the form of the jellyfish to that of an octopus, since it is equipped with the upper part, a sort of floating hood, and a lower part formed by the tentacles , inside which is enclosed the stinging poison .

Jellyfish prefer very clear and clean waters so if you encounter one during a swim, you can at least be sure that you are swimming in a clean and unpolluted sea . It is not always possible to see a jellyfish with the naked eye; often these animals disguise themselves and their presence is felt precisely as a result of the sting, which causes itching, pain and discomfort .

Knowing what to do in these cases is essential, to put your skin at risk from annoyances and swelling and to limit as much as possible the pains. Near the summer, televisions, newspapers and even bathing establishments organize some information campaigns to communicate to tourists and bathers what to do and what not to do in case of jellyfish irritation.

The only real way to avoid jellyfish is to avoid bathing and diving into the water. Eventuality that most of the people on holiday prefer to avoid, risking to take a dip despite everything. After all, it is sufficient to know that jellyfish do not attack with their own free will and do not approach with the intent of doing evil; when we feel the sting of the jellyfish it means that we have accidentally collided with them.

Jellyfish move vertically in the water and are both able to sink to the bottom and emerge on the surface of the water very easily. For the rest, the jellyfish moves according to the direction of the current and for this reason can be found anywhere.

If you spot some jellyfish at sea, it is better not to swim and wait for the current to move elsewhere. The stinging jellyfish are easily recognizable and are those that have rather long tentacles ; this means that even if you see the jellyfish head very far from you its tentacles could be much closer than it seems.

HOW TO DO IN CASE OF PUNCTURE
Sometimes jellyfish are pushed to shore and it is not rare cases in which these animals can be spotted on the shore, destined to literally melt in the sun because they are no longer immersed in water, their natural environment. In most cases, in fact, jellyfish are spotted offshore , when the water is even cleaner than the stretch of sea near the coast.



The odds increase during a boat trip or a swim offshore alone and it is good to know how to behave in these cases because, most of the time, to provide relief to the affected area it is necessary to reach the shore again. First of all, in case of a jellyfish sting, it is necessary to remain calm and try to swim to shore to reach the mainland. If the pain at the moment limits your movements, be helped by someone in the water near you or, if you are inside a factory, ask for the lifeguard help .

Symptoms after a jellyfish sting are very simple to recognize; burning, itching and localized pain , often accompanied by a reddening of the affected area. The first serious eventuality to avert is an anaphylactic shock ; so if after the puncture you experience symptoms of discomfort that move away from the simple burning of the affected area, go immediately to the nearest emergency room.

Once you get out of the water, the most important thing to do is stay calm . This advice may seem trivial and obvious, but in reality it is a fundamental aspect from the moment when the panic and fear increase the adrenaline and as a result the toxins released by the poison will circulate in the body at a greater speed.

Secondly, it is necessary to inspect the body to ensure that , in addition to the puncture, there are no parts of the body of the jellyfish sticking to the skin . If this is the case, the parts of the body of the jellyfish must be detached immediately and the affected area will be washed abundantly with the water from the sea . The use of sea water, which is salty, is very important because, unlike the sweet one, the sea water does not increase the jellyfish sting symptoms.



The part of skin affected by the bite must be covered by the sun's rays ; the sting will have made it very sensitive and the direct contact with the sun would cause it to darken causing scarring that is not aesthetic and difficult to make it go away with time.

The sting of the jellyfish, in some respects, is very similar to the burn. The stinging cells inside the tentacles activate particular filaments that are inserted into the skin, emitting neurotoxic, stinging and paralyzing proteins . Just like the burn, the effects of jellyfish sting can last for a few hours or a few days, depending on the type of aggression and the type of skin of the affected individual.

Burn and itching first appear, then the affected area will undergo a strong reddening and the skin surface will tend to rise in relief. Sometimes these symptoms can be accompanied by nausea, dizziness, increased sweating, dizziness and difficulty breathing . In this case, in the presence of these phenomena, it is better to go to the emergency room, to avoid any other type of reaction and anaphylactic shock.

Excluding these eventualities, which are considered the most serious cases following a jellyfish sting, there are some remedies that can be put into practice immediately after the episode to immediately benefit from the annoyances caused by the jellyfish stinging substances. The first concerns the use of aluminum chloride , easily available in the form of an astringent gel to be applied directly on the affected part. This product can be purchased at the pharmacy and directly request a preparation that has a concentration between 3% and 5% .

To avoid , however, are all products based on antihistamine or cortisone ; these are substances that come into action after about 30 minutes from application, ie after the maximum manifestation of the reaction already tends to regress spontaneously.

4 THINGS NOT TO DO IN CASE OF JELLYFISH STING
If it is very important to know what to do in case of jellyfish sting, it is also essential to know what not to do in case of irritation . Here then is a brief statement to keep in mind if you are in a situation like that.

Do not rub the affected area : to avoid further irritation or damage to the skin
No grandmother's remedies : ammonia, alcohol or vinegar are all home remedies that are best avoided in these cases to avert the risk of further inflammation
Do not scratch yourself : even if the reaction could be instinctive, it is important to resist not to release more poison
Avoid sunbathing on the affected area: as long as the affected area is not healed it is necessary not to expose the skin to the sun. The rays of the sun, in fact, could affect the skin with the formation of dark spots definitely not very anti-aesthetic. If it is impossible to avoid exposure to the sun, opt for a sunscreen with total protection.

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