Sting Rays and Jelly fish

[Knic]

Hello,

I was wondering if anyone could give me any tips on how to deal with Sting Rays or Jelly fish stings. Both seem to be prevalent in our area.

My friends husband went out with my son this morning and was stung by a Sting Ray pretty badly. His toe had a small cut (from the tail going in I guess) and went to the doctor about an hour after as he was in a lot of pain. Toe was swollen and black by the time he made it home about 20 minutes away. Lots of soaking in hot water (the doctor said this helped remove the venom?) and also the doctor gave him steriods and antibiotics just in case of secondary infection and to reduce swelling.

Are there first steps that I can take with my son should he be stung by either that would help? Also at what point should if this happens he be seen by a doctor. My son is 14 years old and never suffered so much as a bee sting so not certain how he would react.

Thanks for any ideas, it is appreciated.

[ July 06, 2003, 03:21 PM: Message edited by: Knic ]

 

[shlizum]

Best thing for Jelly Fish is to marinate your sting area with a solution of
1 part vinegar to 10 part water you can also add meat tenderizer to give it some substance. Apply that to your sting area then wrap the area with a hot towel. Let it be for 20 mins and it should help alot. Never scratch the sting area, just rinse with water.

 

[blakestah]

Sting Ray - stick the afflicted body part in water so hot you can barely stand it for about 35 minutes. The heat denatures the poison (a protein). Should be just like a mild cut after that.

My foot swelled to melon size before I first learned that.

 

[Knic]

Thank you both so much! I feel much better knowing how to deal with these things. I'm passing on this information to tell my son as no doubt it will come in handy in the future when he is out with his friends without me around.

Have a great weekend!

 

[Justin]

i hate stingrays

 

[motorup25]

So how do you get some really hot water at the beach? People with motorhomes have water heaters on board. But they probably haven't had them on. But they do have propane stoves that can heat water pretty fast. In the summer when lifeguards are around, you can holler for one to get you and call ahead to their headquarters for someone to heat up alot of water.

 

[SurfDoc]

The hot water trick does work. About 104 degrees MAX for about 15 minutes should do it. The studies do not strongly support vinegar, papain, or urine as a neutralizer.

You'll also hear many stories about stingray stings lasting for months, coral growing in cuts, and other Tall Tales. None of those things happen. Just make sure the wounds are properly cleaned out immediately to avoid long term complications. If you can't clean them at home, have them done by a medical professional.

 

[123sam]

Im sorry to contradict the surfdoc, but you are mistaken about urine and vinegar and its effects on Jellyfish stings. The purpose of the urea in urine or ammonia is not to neutralize the poison but instead to stop the nematocysts from continuing to fire, which both urea (or pee) and ammonia do. The triggering of those little harpoons that deliver the venonm are all controlled by biochemistry and the pathways shut down.
Cheers

 

[phdsurf]

I concur with sam, on the jellyfish info. Don't touch those stings until you shut down the nematocysts, because there are some that will have yet to be triggered, and urea will disable the firing mechanism.

 

[justsurf48]

Stingrays suck. I got stung by one yesterday. I got it in some hot water fast so it wasn'tthat bad.

 

[Frodo]

The other day I was surfing some good overhead swell from hurricane Claudette when I was stung by a very rare jellyfish called the "Lion's Mane". It hurt like a sombitch worse than the man o' war that got me a couple of weeks ago. I found that urine is the best thing. Although once I got stung on the face while I was duck-diving under a wave. I decided to just walk it off instead of splashing my **** on my face like aftershave.

A buddy of mine once got a man o' war nemocyst up his urethra. Talk about pain!

 

[Lost0rz]

i think i barely got away from a sting today.. i had touched the ground real quick and felt one but popped up hella fast <img border="0" title="" alt="[Big Grin]" src="images/icons/grin.gif" />

 

[SurfDoc]

Dear 123sam.
Can you post a scientific article to support your claim? I haven't ever found one. Not an old wives' tale and not something from some website, but a real honest to goodness research paper? I don't mind contradictions, but I do like some veracity and foundation to claims such as yours.

Cordially,
SurfDoc

 

[123sam]

surfdoc,
There is plenty research on the matter, acid concentrations are inhibitors of the nematocyst firing mech. Check out: 1: Med J Aust. 1992 May 4;156(9):655-8.

Management of a major box jellyfish (Chironex fleckeri) sting. Lessons from the first minutes and hours.

Beadnell CE, Rider TA, Williamson JA, Fenner PJ.

Cairns Centre, Queensland Ambulance Transport Brigade, Cairns.

"CONCLUSIONS: (i) Vinegar dousing may irritate freshly stung skin, but as a nematocyst inhibitor vinegar remains an essential part of the first aid treatment for cubozoan jellyfish stings. "

-I wasn't attempting be demeaning, but its the truth.
123sam

 

[SurfDoc]

Interesting article. More interesting is that I worked in Queensland for several months, and we used vinegar. Unfortunately, it didn't do much to stop the pain. We did keep Box Jellyfish antitoxin at the ready at most of the swimming areas though.

Corky Carroll firmly believes in urinating on your stung mates by the way.

 

[OCsurfRAT 9]

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Originally posted by SurfDoc:
<strong>Corky Carroll firmly believes in urinating on your stung mates by the way.</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">it can't hurt and it's something you've always got with you <img border="0" title="" alt="[Big Grin]" src="images/icons/grin.gif" />

 

[nell4]

Thats funny, you worked there and used vinegar, yet never saw any scientific article about the subject. Youre right, interesting. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Eek!]" src="images/icons/shocked.gif" />

 

[123sam]

nell,
Im sure he is doing the best he can. Give him a break. Its my specialty, probably not his.
peace

 

[GhostofFairmont]

The best way to keep from getting stung by a stingray is to lift and stomp your feet as you walk out into the ocean. Lift your feet high, take big steps, and stomp them as you walk. Stingrays will respect the size of your walk and won't sting you that way. Try it.

 

[georgee]

chemistry rocks! and vinegar works