Jelly Fish Stings

[tinacara]

This year I've been particularly surprised by the high numbers of jelly fish hitting Calabrian shores. Haven't been stung but does anyone know what the best treatment is just in case?? An old Calabrese wives' tale is to rub an onion on the area which has been stung or to put diluted "ammoniaca" on the area. Will any of this work?? Don't fancy the thought of going to the beach with an onion every day!

[rosie A]

Originally Posted by tinacara

This year I've been particularly surprised by the high numbers of jelly fish hitting Calabrian shores. Haven't been stung but does anyone know what the best treatment is just in case?? An old Calabrese wives' tale is to rub an onion on the area which has been stung or to put diluted "ammoniaca" on the area. Will any of this work?? Don't fancy the thought of going to the beach with an onion every day!

They were just talking about this on telly this morning. Apparently the most effective cure is antihistamines and/or cortisone, if the reaction is severe. But "ammoniaco" was also mentioned. By the way, which coast have you sighted them off: north or south?

[elliven]

I think I would be a bit wary of all "wise-woman" remedies and go for 1% hydrocortisone cream, possibly using the Italian one with local anaesthetic, using for no more than 2 days and not more than twice daily.

[bosco]

The suggestion of diluted ammoniaca seems not to be an old wives tale. It's recommended on several fairly serious jellyfish sting websites, as an alternative to the almost universally approved suggestion of vinegar (another possible substitute for vinegar which might be easily available could be pure lemon juice).

What these substances do, if washed over your skin around the sting site, is to deactivate any parts of the sting that are still there but have not yet stung you. They won't make you feel any better, but they could stop the sting getting even worse.

[Angie and Robert]

This may go on record along with J&Cs lighted fag applied close to bites (didnt work for me), but I have a feeble memory of urine being used for jelly fish stings?, probably another old wives tale.
A

[Gala Placidia]

Here is some useful information on what to do:
Jellyfish stings and remedies
Australian lifesavers always have white vinegar to treat jelly fish stings and it works.
Some jelly fish species are now coming to the Atlantic beaches in the north of Spain. They used to be confined to the Mediterranean. Another sign of the warming of the planet, perhaps.

[anne2]

Originally Posted by Angie and Robert

but I have a feeble memory of urine being used for jelly fish stings?,
A

Definitely works for sea urchin stings - don't know about jelly fish. Perhaps it's like the acid on wasp stings, alkali on bee stings or is it the other way around? Can never remember!

[English teacher]

We noticed a lot of jellyfish too in Sicily. The gorgeous (swoon) lifeguard told us to use ammoniaca when we got stung, or vinegar as an alternative. The sting was painful for a few minutes, then faded.

My mum said VW (vinegar for wasps) and alkaline for bee stings. I think she mentioned baking powder as an alternative.

My Roman colleague also had some interesting old wives tales: with any sort of sting, put a hot stone over it. Maybe the burn is more painful than the sting, but possibly the heat makes the blood rise to the surface of the sting. She also swore by toothpaste for stings. Perhaps it's the bicarbonate in the toothpaste which is helpful.

My Calabrian colleague's auntie's remedy for sprains is to immerse the part of the body (e.g. the foot) in a bath of as hot as you can possibly stand water, along with some salt. Apparently it works!

[deborahandricky]

Or get your best mate to pee on it........it really works

[tinacara]

Originally Posted by deborahandricky

Or get your best mate to pee on it........it really works

You're right! My father once told me that in his small village some peasants used to pee on wounds.
RosieA, I've recently come back from a weekend in Santa Maria di Ricadi (Capo Vaticano) and the sea was marvellous! White sands and crystal clear waters; all you could see were the fish! No jelly fish to be seen! They should call it the Italian Caribbean!
However, I've seen jellyfish from the Ionian sea, starting from Bagnara, all the way round up to the Tyrrhenian sea up to Marina di San Lorenzo (if you are familiar with that area). Haven't been as far as Roccella so don't know what the situation is like there if anyone is interested.
I've seen that chemist's sell Medusafe: suntan lotion which protects you from stings!
Sauber - Body & Sun - Medusafe line