the essential Every summer, jellyfish invite when we swim in the sea or ocean. But how do you react when one of them stings you? Should we urinate on it, as I’m sure you’ve heard? La Dépêche du Midi answers the question.
If your vacation got off to a good start, don’t count on swimmers’ nemesis: the jellyfish. You are calm in the water when you feel a sharp pain in your arm, you have been stung.
Immediately, one of your friends offers to urinate on your wound to soothe it. Whether this idea is widespread has never been proven.
Heat neutralizes the itching
What actually neutralizes the itch is heat. Instead of urine, just flush the sting with seawater. Above all, do not use fresh, unsalted water, otherwise there is a risk “of the remaining cells rupturing, releasing the poison and thus the pain,” explains the National Society for Rescue at Sea (SNSM). ) to La Voix du Nord.
Then, to remove the burn threads stuck to the skin, apply hot sand to the affected area and let it dry to remove the last burn cells. Then carefully scrape it off with a piece of cardboard.
Once you’ve gotten rid of the poison, you can soak the wound in hot water (also not too hot to avoid burning yourself) for about 30 minutes. Paracetamol will help you relieve the pain. If you are at home, the SNSM recommends disinfecting the wound with an antiseptic.
Be careful, jellyfish that have washed up on the beach should not be touched, as they retain their stinging power even when they are dead.