Jellyfish - The Facts

[lucifer666]

Every diver i have met, recommends vinegar or at a push urine, preferably your own

[wloonen]

Hi,

I have had a similar hit as Arkady and Jmricca a couple of years ago near Kau takiap.

The moment I got hit I knew it was serious as it felt like being whipped with an burning whip,not at all like the small itchy stuff.

The hit was over my left forearm.

At that time I was 48 years ,1.93 mtr and 92 kg very fit .

But I had to get out of the water asap and get home,on my motorbike the pain got real bad because of the cold airflow.

At home I kept a towel around my forearm and continue to put hot water on that area,as hot as I could stand it without burning myself.

Most marine poison will lose its affect by heat.

I did this for more than two hours,during that time and after my hart rate became irregular and I became real shaky,plus the increasing pain .

My housekeeper went to get advise from some local fisherman and got back with some fresh herbs that she had to grind and rub over the area,but only with the hair direction,not back and fort.

To make a long story short,I was in a bad shape for a week,but I recovered without any scaring.

The jellyfish was a boxjelly fish, I have two little children I take to the beach,but never in more than ankle deep water.

3 years ago the afternoon for the start of the Hua-Hin triathlon we made a practice swim and one of the swimmers got hit and ended up in hospital,he made it to the start the next morning as a spectator.

I still swim in the sea,but only for competition,my training I do in the swimming pool.

Regards Wout

[SpoonZie]

I have been teaching kitesurfing in hua hin for the last 4 years.

ALL jellyfish sting.

from my experience, size of the jellyfish or color of the jellyfish does not indicate the jellyfish will sting worse.

i would recommend ALL swimmers to cover their legs when swimming.

when i teach, we always wear lycra leggings and that stops any bad stings.

also be careful of Sea Lice. occasionally in hua hin there are sea lice present and these will cause you to itch. if this happens the only thing you can do is rinse your clothing and not scratch (if you itch, it gets worse)

[beautifulthailand99]

Just come back from a few days staying at a resort at Ao Takieb just round the corner from Hua Hin beach and on walking at dawn along the beach came across 3 dead jellyfish washed up. Later on saw someone presumably from the hotels picking them up and putting them into black bin bags. No sign in the hotel warning customers of the risk. Quite shocking when you read some of the tales here.

[jollyman]

Well they do leave a nasty scar, about 6 yrs back my wife had just a single spot sting, its still a black bump/scar. Every one keeps quite about jelly fish in Hua hin.

[SpoonZie]

looks like i was tempting fate by posting in here. got stung by a jellyfish 4 days ago and am going to have a nasty scar on my left arm from them -.-

for information i was wearing lycra leggings and a loose shirt. legs were fine but somehow got stung on the arm underneath the shirt and all over my chest. (possibly small jellyfish made it under my shirt :<)

[beautifulthailand99]

They keep quiet for commercial reasons surely - near to the King's Palace I found 6 all near to each other I will never swim in these water for sure.

[terrymor66]

The main reason that urine does work is because of the ammonia in it. You are much better off if you can find a bottle of pure ammonia to keep in your first aid kit. I speak from experience...I was stung ny a Portuguese Man O-War...Agonizing pain....the big help was at the hospital, they poured ammonia all over my back and then a very hard scrub to remove the stingers still in there. After that it was a long soak in a hot whirlpool. no scars or anything...The scars happen when people wait too long to go to the Dr. and it gets infected. Safe swimming out there guys.

[ARISTIDE]

A person I know got jelly fish stung near Kled Sai condo a couple of month ago. It wasnt rainy season and it was really bad with blister , pus and all. I may not swim in the sea in HH again.

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[stament]

Is there any jellyfish near Prachuap Kiri Khan does anyone know?

[evadgib]

As a family we take an atomizer full of vinegar, along with a spatula & rubber gloves whenever we're on the beach. If the vinegar isn't enough my wife & kids know to run to the nearest restaurant to grab any ketchup etc that happens to be available, preferably in catering-sized tubs. Thankfully we have never needed to use it but I know a few that have been stung.

[Ciocco]

The main reason that urine does work is because of the ammonia in it. You are much better off if you can find a bottle of pure ammonia to keep in your first aid kit. I speak from experience...I was stung ny a Portuguese Man O-War...Agonizing pain....the big help was at the hospital, they poured ammonia all over my back and then a very hard scrub to remove the stingers still in there. After that it was a long soak in a hot whirlpool. no scars or anything...The scars happen when people wait too long to go to the Dr. and it gets infected. Safe swimming out there guys.

This are the kind of metropolitan legends who can make people regrett for long time to believe it.

Same legend talk about to put sand on...

If you ask to every one Doctor about urin or amoniac probably you will see them laughting...

Please do not put urine on fresh jellyfish injuries if you don't want to risk also a bad infection.

Also amoniac is not safe to be used, expecially if pure because it hurt, but for sure less dangerous than urine.

In the hospitals, nowaday, usually they put alumium salt on the fresh injuries.

If you applied sand or urine better to net immediately and everyday with betadine and to take an antistaminic for a few days, then a cream like Rilastil.

The better firts aid is the winegar, if available (Australian Coast Guard keep buoys with winegars as first aid all along the coasts).

Hot water can be used to clean the part taking away stingers, but you need a good experience into doing this because the risk is to release more poison and should be better to leave a doctor doing this rather than to do worse.

[ClutchClark]

The main reason that urine does work is because of the ammonia in it. You are much better off if you can find a bottle of pure ammonia to keep in your first aid kit. I speak from experience...I was stung ny a Portuguese Man O-War...Agonizing pain....the big help was at the hospital, they poured ammonia all over my back and then a very hard scrub to remove the stingers still in there. After that it was a long soak in a hot whirlpool. no scars or anything...The scars happen when people wait too long to go to the Dr. and it gets infected. Safe swimming out there guys.

This article suggests:

"Bluebottle" aka portuguese Man'o War are not jellyfish and that a victim should flush the sting with sea water, not fresh water or vinegar, as is the case with jellyfish.

http://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-swimmers-warned-to-beware-portuguese-men-o-war-47031.php

Seems to contradict many of the posts here.

[stament]

The main reason that urine does work is because of the ammonia in it. You are much better off if you can find a bottle of pure ammonia to keep in your first aid kit. I speak from experience...I was stung ny a Portuguese Man O-War...Agonizing pain....the big help was at the hospital, they poured ammonia all over my back and then a very hard scrub to remove the stingers still in there. After that it was a long soak in a hot whirlpool. no scars or anything...The scars happen when people wait too long to go to the Dr. and it gets infected. Safe swimming out there guys.

This article suggests:

"Bluebottle" aka portuguese Man'o War are not jellyfish and that a victim should flush the sting with sea water, not fresh water or vinegar, as is the case with jellyfish.

http://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-swimmers-warned-to-beware-portuguese-men-o-war-47031.php

Seems to contradict many of the posts here.

It doesn't contradict read the last line

[ClutchClark]

The main reason that urine does work is because of the ammonia in it. You are much better off if you can find a bottle of pure ammonia to keep in your first aid kit. I speak from experience...I was stung ny a Portuguese Man O-War...Agonizing pain....the big help was at the hospital, they poured ammonia all over my back and then a very hard scrub to remove the stingers still in there. After that it was a long soak in a hot whirlpool. no scars or anything...The scars happen when people wait too long to go to the Dr. and it gets infected. Safe swimming out there guys.

This article suggests:

"Bluebottle" aka portuguese Man'o War are not jellyfish and that a victim should flush the sting with sea water, not fresh water or vinegar, as is the case with jellyfish.

http://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-swimmers-warned-to-beware-portuguese-men-o-war-47031.php

Seems to contradict many of the posts here.

It doesn't contradict read the last line

You need to include cut&paste in order for me to know what to respond.

I pasted the last line in my comment.

The poster I responded to indicated he was stung by a Portuguese Man-o-War and received a vinegar wash at the hospital. I pasted a news article that indicates the proper treatment is not vinegar.

[Ciocco]

The main reason that urine does work is because of the ammonia in it. You are much better off if you can find a bottle of pure ammonia to keep in your first aid kit. I speak from experience...I was stung ny a Portuguese Man O-War...Agonizing pain....the big help was at the hospital, they poured ammonia all over my back and then a very hard scrub to remove the stingers still in there. After that it was a long soak in a hot whirlpool. no scars or anything...The scars happen when people wait too long to go to the Dr. and it gets infected. Safe swimming out there guys.

This article suggests:

"Bluebottle" aka portuguese Man'o War are not jellyfish and that a victim should flush the sting with sea water, not fresh water or vinegar, as is the case with jellyfish.

http://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-swimmers-warned-to-beware-portuguese-men-o-war-47031.php

Seems to contradict many of the posts here.

It doesn't contradict read the last line

You need to include cut&paste in order for me to know what to respond.

I pasted the last line in my comment.

The poster I responded to indicated he was stung by a Portuguese Man-o-War and received a vinegar wash at the hospital. I pasted a news article that indicates the proper treatment is not vinegar.

Also because if winegar could be a reasonable first aid by common people... looks really a poor way inside an hospital...

[JemJem]

In Hua Hin, is the jellyfish situation worse or better in the rainy season ?

And, sorry for being a bit off the topic, but just wondering how the jellyfish situation in Koh Tao is, as compared to in Hua Hin. Cheers.

[ding]

Symptoms of Man-of-War and Jellyfish Stings;

First, know your jellyfish! A man-of-war is different from a true jellyfish and both are different from a box jellyfish. If you don't know what caused the sting, carefully lift off any remaining tentacles and rinse with seawater. Don't scrub the area and don't apply any chemical (e.g., vinegar, fresh water, commercial product), as inappropriate use can cause injury or death. Don't make the sting worse. Unless the person has a reaction to the venom, stings heal well on their own. Here are the symptoms of a man-of-war or jellyfish sting:

Painful raised red lesions running along the site of tentacle contact (most common symptom)

The lesions may become filled with fluid. Sometimes these will heal with pigmentation.

Muscle spasms in the affected area

Systemic reactions: nausea, vomiting, headaches, dizziness, muscle weakness, runny nose, difficulty breathing, and irregular heart rate (these symptoms are more likely to occur in sensitive individuals or those with extensive stings)

First Aid for Man-of-War Stings;

Prevent further stings. Carefully lift off tentacle remnants, using a stick or gloved fingers. Do not rub the tentacles off, as this will cause more nematocysts to sting.

Next, rinse the affected area with seawater. Do NOT use fresh water or vinegar, as these may cause the stinging cells to discharge all at once and may greatly worsen the sting! Do not scrub the affected area. [vinegar, papain (as in meat tenderizer), baking soda, urine, or aluminum sulfate all may deactivate the toxin, but they may also cause the stinging cells to discharge all at once, possibly intensifying the injury]

Ice may be applied to reduce pain and swelling.

Pain can be countered with topical treatment of products containing lidocaine or benzocaine (as in those products used for sunburn).

Diphenhydramine (benadryl) cream may be applied for persistent itching.

Seek immediate medical attention if the person stung is having any difficulty breathing or maintaining consciousness.

Seek medical attention for muscle spasms.

Infection is possible, so seek medical attention if the pain persists, the rash worsens, a feeling of overall illness develops, lymph nodes become swollen, a red streak develops between lymph nodes and the sting, or the area becomes hot, red, and tender.

It is not uncommon for the sites of man-of-war stings to 'flare up' with irritation periodically for up to 6-8 weeks following the sting. Unless the signs of infection are seen, these symptoms tend to resolve on their own.

http://azareal.hubpages.com/hub/Portuguese-Man-of-War-Stings

[MrTrip]

glad I found this thread, it's very informative.

we're staying in Hua Hin next month for a week or so. my son loves being in the sea, I struggle to get him out of it to eat!

maybe i'll get him one of those beach suits for protection but at 14 he'll probably protest but no suity no swimmy!!

[element555]

It's been 1 year now i stay in Hua Hin, there is a huge problem of Jelly fish and sea lice in the gulf of Siam that's for sure. I do not know when it started exactly but i have the feeling it getting worst. Day before yesterday i went for a swim in front of the Soi 75 (near village market and BKK hospital), and i could feel some sort of small bubbles of jelly between my hands and got itchy (red spots) on the body and small stings sensation time to time but not strong. Not the kind that would makes you rush out of the water at all but very unpleasant feeling for swimming.

My concern is that i noticed those same jellies bubbles and swimming sting-itchy sensation last year, it was before tones of big real jellyfish were washed up on the shore and made the headlines... It was impossible to swim and dangerous to go in the water at that time...

It's really early in the season for the Jellyfish to return and the wind is west- south west everyday so i wonder why jellyfish or sea lice would be here so early ?

Any expert have an idea if it's safe to continue to swim at the moment ?

[MrTrip]

Loads of people swimming on Khao Tao Sai Noi today. Onshore wind I'm guessing South Easterly.

Signs were clear about the risk of jelly fish but still plenty of people in the water. Having said that several wore tee-shirts

Trip

[element555]

Tuesday report : Soi 75, i have try to swim 20 meters away form the shore and get my body and face stung everywhere ! I could feel some sort of small jellies bubbles (like eggs) between my fingers (i have manage to capture one of them check pictures bellow). Again it's not strong stings and the tingling does not last more than 30 minutes but it's impossible to swim. It’s really feels like jumping in a nettle bush. Same result in Takiab yesterday + sandflies (elbow sting on the picture).

But going back to the sea problem, there is something in the water which stings... maybe it's a combination of things: sealices like someone mentioned, jellyfish eggs, plancton... I’m not sure but i really want to know. From my experience i had only few days, during may-june where those things were not in the water. Rest of the time you can always feels those sea nettles or jellyfish…

Sadly sandflies are here all year, i confirm, new bites yesterday.. Yes as somebody said here, why do i insist to go to the beach ? Well before leaving i would like to know exactly what are those things. If it’s a global warming effect then it will spread everywhere in the gulf of Thailand even snorkeling and diving islands in the south..

http://imgur.com/N24wPAD

http://imgur.com/PPo7qsJ

http://imgur.com/LAb8UkS

horse manure :

http://imgur.com/gBCWaWd

[Hagakure]

Stay well away from all spotted and coloured Jellyfish. We were told many years ago in Hua Hin these types are deadly. Especially the White one with red spots on top.

[RocketDog]

I grew up in Corpus Christi Texas and we regularly encountered the Blue Floating Man of War with long purple tenacales. These and jellyfish venom, in fact, most venom from snakes to insects is a protein-based poison. Proteins are broken down or denatured in a number of ways. Boiling an egg denatures the protein and it changes appearance.

 

Bottom line, as is buried in some of these posts, meat tenderizing specifically breaks down these venoms.

 

Mildly acidic things like vinegar, ketchup, boric acid, and yes, urine of any type will neutralize the poision. We always kept a bottle of Adophs Meat Tenderizer in car. Of course my friends were always quite prepared to pee in my leg. That is often the most readily available anodyne..

 

Whatever you do , do it quickly !!!

[Stokakrishna]

same thing. i've been living in huahin for past 10 years. kitesurfing all the time. or teacching kite.  been using  protective gear, lycra, jellysifh pants, gloves. but  in june i went out kiting without jellyfish pants.  and  i got stung , bad. it took almost 3 months to heal

it hurt for  a week or more. then oosing puss. never get to heal.   got different creams from  bangkok hospital.   lately discovered Aloe Vera  works very well. and its free as it grows in my garden.

but scars i will have forever. big and ugly scars

[ding]

Checked back into this thread as we may take a trip to Hua Hin... maybe not!

 

I got stung on the glute while snorkeling in St Thomas decades ago. My buddy and I went to the clinic and the "doctor" said it needed to be peed on.

My buddy laughed with delight like I'd never seen.

I decided to suffer.

 

Hawaii has jelly fish warning flags and people stay out of the water.

[perry21]

I was at Kao Tao South beach today for lunch and a sea swim. The restaurant manager advised against swimming because of a lot of jellyfish currently.

This is a problem I am very familiar with, since I have been coming to HH for many years.

Just wondering if anyone has a view in the current jellyfish situation around HH. I seem to recall people saying if there has been a lot of rain this attracts the jelliyfish closer in towards the show.

Any thoughts?


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[stat]

Any info on the current situation in Hua Hin and Pranburi?

 

As I am a triathlete I like to swim 3 Kilometer in the open ocean but will probably need a stinger suit right?

[Marvest]

an American medical perspective for what it is worth:

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/jellyfish-stings/symptoms-causes/syc-20353284

 

Treatment

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/jellyfish-stings/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20353290

 

Treatment for jellyfish includes first-aid care and medical treatment, depending on the type of jellyfish, the severity of the sting and your reaction to it.

First-aid care

Most jellyfish stings can be treated as follows:

1. Carefully pluck visible tentacles with a fine tweezers.
2. Soak the skin in hot water. Use water that's 110 to 113 F (43 to 45 C). If a thermometer isn't available, test the water on an uninjured person's hand or elbow — it should feel hot, not scalding. Keep the affected skin immersed or in a hot shower for 20 to 45 minutes.

[TrueOrNothing]

Stop spreading nonsense, always use vinegar, even for man-o-war jellyfish  !!

Scientific paper (2017): https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6651/9/5/149 

Article below from: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/may/09/vinegar-best-antidote-jellyfish-stings-urine-lemon-juice-make-worse-study

 

What should you do if a jellyfish stings you? Scientists have found that applying vinegar is the best solution, and that popular remedies including urine, lemon juice, and shaving foam could make the situation worse.

A recent study in Toxins, which investigated the efficacy of various remedies for stings from the Portuguese man o’ war (Physalia physalis) concludes that rinsing with vinegar before applying heat is the most effective treatment. The commonly recommended treatment of seawater and ice was found to cause more harm than good.

Dr Tom Doyle, a biologist at NUI Galway and co-author of the paper, conducted research on both the Atlantic and Pacific man o’ war. He said the findings represented a complete U-turn.

“For me it was certainly surprising as we have been recommending seawater and ice for the last 10 years,” he said. “But that’s the nature of science; we have to hold up our hands and say we were wrong. We went back to basics and tested different methods. There’s no doubt about our findings. We are absolutely 100% certain that vinegar does the trick.”

The scientists tested various solutions on sheep and human blood cells suspended in agar. The method of scraping away tentacles was found to increase pressure on the affected area, causing the stinging capsules to fire more venom into the victim. However, applying vinegar was shown to prevent further venom release, allowing the tentacles to be safely removed. Immersing the area in 45C water or applying a heatpack resulted in fewer red blood cells being killed.

In contrast, rinsing with seawater was found to worsen stings by spreading venom capsules further, while cold packs caused them to fire more venom. The infamous urine theory – popularised by an episode of Friends – was also found to aggravate stings. Baking soda, shaving cream, soap, lemon juice, alcohol and cola yielded similar results.

Although vinegar is used for many other jellyfish stings, the man o’ war has long been considered an exception, with many guidelines warning against its use. While it’s true that the man o’ war is different – they are technically a siphonophore and not a jellyfish – the scientists behind this research are now arguing that all stings be treated equally.

Biologist and jellyfish expert Dr Lisa Gershwin agrees that treatment with vinegar works, but expressed concern about the hot water recommendation.

“Hot water does take away the pain but this is a neurological process; it has nothing to do with denaturing the venom,” she said. “Fresh water activates discharge and by applying heat, you are dilating the capillaries and allowing venom to go further into the body.”

The study was prompted by an influx of man o’ war on European coasts last summer and built upon the findings of a study on box jellyfish conducted by the University of Hawaii at Mānoa. The researchers will now turn their attention to the lion’s mane jellyfish to determine if the same conclusions apply.