Jellyfish and other sea creature stings

Important: Get help if possible If you've been stung by a sea creature such as a jellyfish, get local medical advice as soon as possible. You could ask a lifeguard or someone with first aid training for help. If help is not available: Do rinse the affected area with seawater (not fresh water) remove any spines from the skin using tweezers or the edge of a bank card soak the area in very warm water (as hot as can be tolerated) for at least 30 minutes – use hot flannels or towels if you cannot soak it take painkillers like paracetamol or ibuprofen Don’t do not pee on the sting do not apply ice or a cold pack do not touch any tentacles or spines with your bare hands do not cover or close the wound

The main symptoms of sea creature stings are intense pain where you're stung and an itchy rash. Jellyfish and Portuguese man-of-war stings can also cause raised stripes on the skin (welts).

If you go in the sea there are things you can do to reduce the risk of being stung by a sea creature. Do look out for beach warning signs consider wearing a wetsuit when swimming in the sea, particularly during the spring and summer wear waterproof shoes or sandals when walking in shallow water or rocky areas scuff or stamp your feet when walking in shallow water to make sea creatures aware you're approaching Don’t do not touch or handle sea creatures that sting

Jellyfish. Credit: Was formerly downloaded from Dovapi / Thinkstock T_1017_jellyfish_467428219.jpg Can be purchased if required from: Pavlo Vakhrushev / Alamy Stock Photo https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-orange-jellyfish-chrysaora-fuscescens-or-pacific-sea-nettle-in-blue-73685872.html?pv=1&stamp=2&imageid=6C4346EE-9F9B-4D71-8840-C6E4C8DD1931&p=61880&n=21&orientation=0&pn=1&searchtype=0&IsFromSearch=1&srch=foo%3Dbar%26st%3D0%26sortby%3D2%26qt%3DORANGE%2520jellyfish%26qt_raw%3DORANGE%2520jellyfish%26qn%3D%26lic%3D3%26edrf%3D0%26mr%3D0%26pr%3D0%26aoa%3D1%26creative%3D%26videos%3D%26nu%3D%26ccc%3D%26bespoke%3D%26apalib%3D%26ag%3D0%26hc%3D0%26et%3D0x000000000000000000000%26vp%3D0%26loc%3D0%26ot%3D0%26imgt%3D0%26dtfr%3D%26dtto%3D%26size%3D0xFF%26blackwhite%3D%26cutout%3D%26archive%3D1%26name%3D%26groupid%3D%26pseudoid%3D788068%26userid%3D%26id%3D%26a%3D%26xstx%3D0%26cbstore%3D1%26resultview%3DsortbyPopular%26lightbox%3D%26gname%3D%26gtype%3D%26apalic%3D%26tbar%3D1%26pc%3D%26simid%3D%26cap%3D1%26customgeoip%3D%26vd%3D0%26cid%3D%26pe%3D%26so%3D%26lb%3D%26pl%3D0%26plno%3D%26fi%3D0%26langcode%3Den%26upl%3D0%26cufr%3D%26cuto%3D%26howler%3D%26cvrem%3D0%26cvtype%3D0%26cvloc%3D0%26cl%3D0%26upfr%3D%26upto%3D%26primcat%3D%26seccat%3D%26cvcategory%3D*%26restriction%3D%26random%3D%26ispremium%3D1%26flip%3D0%26contributorqt%3D%26plgalleryno%3D%26plpublic%3D0%26viewaspublic%3D0%26isplcurate%3D0%26imageurl%3D%26saveQry%3D%26editorial%3D1%26t%3D0%26edoptin%3D Watch out for jellyfish on the beach. Credit: Arterra Picture Library / Alamy Stock Photo https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-barrel-jellyfish-dustbin-lid-jellyfish-rhizostoma-octopus-rhizostoma-85030843.html?pv=1&stamp=2&imageid=D3280A35-5002-4C5F-8356-CAC24EC738A9&p=80871&n=0&orientation=0&pn=1&searchtype=0&IsFromSearch=1&srch=foo%3dbar%26st%3d0%26pn%3d1%26ps%3d100%26sortby%3d2%26resultview%3dsortbyPopular%26npgs%3d0%26qt%3dEX9DKR%26qt_raw%3dEX9DKR%26lic%3d3%26mr%3d0%26pr%3d0%26ot%3d0%26creative%3d%26ag%3d0%26hc%3d0%26pc%3d%26blackwhite%3d%26cutout%3d%26tbar%3d1%26et%3d0x000000000000000000000%26vp%3d0%26loc%3d0%26imgt%3d0%26dtfr%3d%26dtto%3d%26size%3d0xFF%26archive%3d1%26groupid%3d%26pseudoid%3d387440%26a%3d%26cdid%3d%26cdsrt%3d%26name%3d%26qn%3d%26apalib%3d%26apalic%3d%26lightbox%3d%26gname%3d%26gtype%3d%26xstx%3d0%26simid%3d%26saveQry%3d%26editorial%3d1%26nu%3d%26t%3d%26edoptin%3d%26customgeoip%3d%26cap%3d1%26cbstore%3d1%26vd%3d0%26lb%3d%26fi%3d2%26edrf%3d0%26ispremium%3d1%26flip%3d0%26pl%3d Portuguese man-of-war. Credit: MIKE THEISS/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY https://www.sciencephoto.com/media/365599/view Weever fish. Credit: Arterra Picture Library / Alamy Stock Photo https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-greater-weever-fish-trachinus-draco-lying-on-the-seabed-57572452.html?pv=1&stamp=2&imageid=DFC11B42-0F64-46A1-B54B-EE196EF55D76&p=80862&n=0&orientation=0&pn=1&searchtype=0&IsFromSearch=1&srch=foo%3dbar%26st%3d0%26pn%3d1%26ps%3d100%26sortby%3d2%26resultview%3dsortbyPopular%26npgs%3d0%26qt%3dD9JJ70%26qt_raw%3dD9JJ70%26lic%3d3%26mr%3d0%26pr%3d0%26ot%3d0%26creative%3d%26ag%3d0%26hc%3d0%26pc%3d%26blackwhite%3d%26cutout%3d%26tbar%3d1%26et%3d0x000000000000000000000%26vp%3d0%26loc%3d0%26imgt%3d0%26dtfr%3d%26dtto%3d%26size%3d0xFF%26archive%3d1%26groupid%3d%26pseudoid%3d731695%26a%3d%26cdid%3d%26cdsrt%3d%26name%3d%26qn%3d%26apalib%3d%26apalic%3d%26lightbox%3d%26gname%3d%26gtype%3d%26xstx%3d0%26simid%3d%26saveQry%3d%26editorial%3d1%26nu%3d%26t%3d%26edoptin%3d%26customgeoip%3d%26cap%3d1%26cbstore%3d1%26vd%3d0%26lb%3d%26fi%3d2%26edrf%3d0%26ispremium%3d1%26flip%3d0%26pl%3d Sea urchins. Credit: Comstock Images / Thinkstock Stingrays. Credit: Yann-HUBERT / Thinkstock https://www.istockphoto.com/gb/photo/grey-stingray-himantura-sp-gm487839748-73695753 Can be downloaded here if rights change: HUBERT YANN / Alamy Stock Photo https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-small-group-of-grey-stingray-swimming-around-86405473.html?pv=1&stamp=2&imageid=6E2DACB6-19DE-4347-AF8B-1FF17FE4A462&p=265768&n=0&orientation=0&pn=1&searchtype=0&IsFromSearch=1&srch=foo%3Dbar%26st%3D0%26sortby%3D2%26qt%3DSMALL%2520GROUP%2520OF%2520GREY%2520STINGRAY%2520SWIMMING%2520AROUND%26qt_raw%3DSMALL%2520GROUP%2520OF%2520GREY%2520STINGRAY%2520SWIMMING%2520AROUND%26qn%3D%26lic%3D3%26edrf%3D0%26mr%3D0%26pr%3D0%26aoa%3D1%26creative%3D%26videos%3D%26nu%3D%26ccc%3D%26bespoke%3D%26apalib%3D%26ag%3D0%26hc%3D0%26et%3D0x000000000000000000000%26vp%3D0%26loc%3D0%26ot%3D0%26imgt%3D0%26dtfr%3D%26dtto%3D%26size%3D0xFF%26blackwhite%3D%26cutout%3D%26archive%3D1%26name%3D%26groupid%3D%26pseudoid%3D731695%26userid%3D%26id%3D%26a%3D%26xstx%3D0%26cbstore%3D1%26resultview%3DsortbyPopular%26lightbox%3D%26gname%3D%26gtype%3D%26apalic%3D%26tbar%3D1%26pc%3D%26simid%3D%26cap%3D1%26customgeoip%3D%26vd%3D0%26cid%3D%26pe%3D%26so%3D%26lb%3D%26pl%3D0%26plno%3D%26fi%3D0%26langcode%3Den%26upl%3D0%26cufr%3D%26cuto%3D%26howler%3D%26cvrem%3D0%26cvtype%3D0%26cvloc%3D0%26cl%3D0%26upfr%3D%26upto%3D%26primcat%3D%26seccat%3D%26cvcategory%3D*%26restriction%3D%26random%3D%26ispremium%3D1%26flip%3D0%26contributorqt%3D%26plgalleryno%3D%26plpublic%3D0%26viewaspublic%3D0%26isplcurate%3D0%26imageurl%3D%26saveQry%3D%26editorial%3D1%26t%3D0%26edoptin%3D