Hot water and painkiller work for jellyfish sting
Source: Agencies |
June 23, 2012, Saturday
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Print Edition
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THERE'S a lot of folk remedies for treating a jellyfish sting, but science suggests that hot water and painkillers actually work the best in North American waters.
Popularly promoted remedies range from vinegar to meat tenderizer to baking soda mixed with water. In a pinch, the victim - or a very good friend - might try urinating on the sting.
"Current research demonstrates variable response to treatment, often with conflicting results according to species studied, which contributes to considerable confusion about what treatment is warranted," wrote Nicholas Ward, at the University of California, San Diego, in the Annals of Emergency Medicine.
Though the American Heart Association and American Red Cross recommend using vinegar or a baking soda "slurry," followed by heat or ice, those remedies are based on studies done in Australia and Indonesia, he said in an e-mail to Reuters Health.
The jellyfish species there aren't commonly found in North American waters, so Ward said he and his colleagues studied medical literature for studies specific to North American and Hawaiian jellyfish, and found 19.
Based on those studies, it seems the most broadly effective remedies are simple hot water and creams containing the pain-numbing medication lidocaine.
"The principle behind the use of lidocaine is it acts as a local anesthetic (and) appears to inhibit the further discharge of nematocysts remaining on the skin," Ward said.
Popularly promoted remedies range from vinegar to meat tenderizer to baking soda mixed with water. In a pinch, the victim - or a very good friend - might try urinating on the sting.
"Current research demonstrates variable response to treatment, often with conflicting results according to species studied, which contributes to considerable confusion about what treatment is warranted," wrote Nicholas Ward, at the University of California, San Diego, in the Annals of Emergency Medicine.
Though the American Heart Association and American Red Cross recommend using vinegar or a baking soda "slurry," followed by heat or ice, those remedies are based on studies done in Australia and Indonesia, he said in an e-mail to Reuters Health.
The jellyfish species there aren't commonly found in North American waters, so Ward said he and his colleagues studied medical literature for studies specific to North American and Hawaiian jellyfish, and found 19.
Based on those studies, it seems the most broadly effective remedies are simple hot water and creams containing the pain-numbing medication lidocaine.
"The principle behind the use of lidocaine is it acts as a local anesthetic (and) appears to inhibit the further discharge of nematocysts remaining on the skin," Ward said.
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