What To Do If A Jellyfish Stings A Child?

Jellyfish is one of the main episode categories of terns. These dome-like animals occur everywhere in the Seas, including in Finnish waters. One jellyfish species, which is harmless to humans, live permanently in the Baltic Sea. Most other jellyfish are harmless to humans or cause at most minor injuries, but the toxic tentacles of a sea urchin, for example, can kill a person in a matter of minutes. Today we tell you what to do if a jellyfish stings a child.

How does a jellyfish sting?

Jellyfish are very primitive creatures that live in the Seas around the world. There are different types of jellyfish that may differ in their morphological features as well as the injuries caused by their stings. Jellyfish stings with its tentacles. Contrary to what you might think, jellyfish do not approach people let their other prey. When a jellyfish comes in contact with human skin, its tentacles release punctures that inject into the skin and begin to secrete the toxin.

The venom secreted by jellyfish activates a strong defense reaction that produces wounds similar to those caused by bee stings. The resulting injuries are red and easy to feel as they rise on the skin. In addition, the injection sites cause pain, burning and itching.

The pain a child experiences depends on the body’s immune response and how many injections the jellyfish has made into the child. For example, in some cases, a child may experience nausea, dizziness, vomiting, fever, and headache. In most cases, however, the symptoms are milder and cause mainly local discomfort.

What to do if a jellyfish stings a child?

The most important thing is to stay calm, and calm the child. In most cases, the situation is not serious, even if the sting is painful. Next, you should rinse the injection site, and add salt water. That way, you rinse off the rest of any punctures as well as the poison so that they no longer get on your child’s skin.

You can then put a cold compression bandage at the injection site to soothe the burn and itch. Remember that when placing something cold on a child’s skin, put some sort of cloth between the ice and the skin. So do not put ice directly on the wound. If any parts of the jellyfish are left on the child’s skin, remove them. You can remove them with tweezers or, for example, using a debit card. Under no circumstances use your fingers, as jellyfish may feel threatened and release the poison again.

If there is a lifeguard on the beach, you can ask for his help. He or she may have medications or other life-aids that quickly relieve the child’s condition. If you notice unusual and alarming signs in your child, call the emergency number immediately. Do the same if your child has a severe allergic reaction. First aid can handle the situation as needed. In a fraction of cases, an anaphylactic reaction, ie a sudden hypersensitivity reaction, may occur.

What should not be done if a jellyfish stings a child?

There are certain beliefs and general thoughts about how jellyfish stings should be treated, but they can actually only be harmful. Examples of false beliefs about the treatment of jellyfish stings include:

• Rinsing the injection site with fresh water. Jellyfish stings should never be treated by rinsing it with fresh water. It may cause punctures that are still attached to the skin to start releasing the toxin back into the skin. It causes more pain and burns to the skin. For the same reason, the ice must never be in direct contact with the wound.
• Rubbing or sprinkling sand on the wound. Some people mistakenly think that this would help relieve pain. However, this only has a similar effect as fresh water. In addition, the sand only spreads the punctures and the toxins they excrete over a wider area, which only exacerbates the situation.
• Removing a dead jellyfish from sand or water with bare hands. Even if it’s just part of Medusa or a tentacle, this might just cause it to get injected again. Namely, this animal is able to secrete its toxin even when it is dead. Therefore, it is important to warn the child not to play with the jellyfish or its parts, otherwise the child will be stung by the jellyfish.

Normally, a jellyfish sting is not a serious matter. However, the pain and discomfort it causes can ruin a wonderful holiday at the beach. That is why it is important to act quickly and in the right way so that the symptoms can be relieved in the best possible way. However, if you notice severe reactions or alarming symptoms in your child, it is important to call the emergency number so that the child receives appropriate treatment as soon as possible and to avoid possible complications.