Take the Sting Out of Jellyfish Stings
Summertime means more time in the surf and sand, which means more of a chance for beachfront dangers like jellyfish stings. A jellyfish has tentacles that are covered in tiny stingers. When these tentacles touch your skin, they inject a venom that causes itchy, red blisters.
Before you head to the beach, it’s important to know the types of jellyfish in that area because the sting of rare species can be lethal. But don’t that you scare you away from the sea because most people experience the more mild moon jellyfish stings, which can usually be treated with basic remedies. To help you handle these painful problems, here are some tips to treat moon jellyfish stings.
4 Simple Steps to Soothe the Sting
- Remove any stingers that have stuck to the skin with the straight edge of a credit card or by rinsing the area with seawater. Do not use fresh or bottled water because these can actually worsen the symptoms.
- To deactivate the venom from any stingers trapped in the skin, rinse the site of the sting with vinegar or a mixture of baking soda and seawater for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Relieve the stinging sensation by soaking the irritated area in hot water or covering it with a cold compress. You can also ease the pain by applying calamine lotion, using a mild hydrocortisone, or taking an oral antihistamine.
- If you are allergic to jellyfish stings or experience severe irritation or pain, you need to seek emergency medical treatment. To avoid the long waits and high price of hospital emergency rooms, go straight to the nearest MD Now for relief without any grief.
Medical Care is a Day at the Beach at MD Now
Trust MD Now for the convenient, caring, and cost-efficient treatment that’s missing from most medical care. All of our locations operate on a walk-in, no-appointment basis with hours to conveniently suit your schedule. With 22 locations throughout Palm Beach, Broward, and Miami-Dade counties, quality care is always within your reach. For the Florida locations nearest you, visit https://www.mymdnow.com/locations.
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MD Now® Urgent Care Walk-In Medical Centers is the leading provider of fast and affordable urgent care to adults and children in Palm Beach, Broward, and Miami-Dade counties. Our state-of-the-art, walk-in medical centers are open seven days a week to deliver an affordable and convenient alternative to long emergency room wait times and the limited hours of family physicians. No appointment is necessary and major insurance plans are accepted. In addition to providing a comprehensive range of urgent care services to treat a variety of illnesses and injuries, our multiple locations offer digital x-rays, EKG, lab testing, physicals, immunizations, vaccines, occupational medicine, travel medicine and selected primary care services. Find the medical care you need with the convenience you want at MD Now. Online: www.MDNow.com.