motoged - 11-26-2007 at 04:20 PM
Nomads,
Another thread is discussing being stung by jellyfish tentacles.
I have a different question: I have been swimming in Pacific waters on southern mainland (Oaxaca coast) and have been stung by floating debris that
the locals called "mal agua", but different locals explained it as various sources....none of which were jellyfish tentacles.
Any ideas???
Thanks
Osprey - 11-26-2007 at 04:24 PM
All over the SOC the locals call the Portuguese Man O War, Agua Malas. They are much smaller here than those found in the Atlantic but big or small
they will give you a nasty sting.
stings
tehag - 11-26-2007 at 04:27 PM
Mal agua is the name the people wherever I've been in Mexico use for all jellyfish species.
Oops, that's right, it's agua mala.
[Edited on 11-26-2007 by tehag]
bajajudy - 11-26-2007 at 04:28 PM
Osprey
What do the locals call jelly fish...not necessarily PMW's
I have never a name other than aqua mala
stings
tehag - 11-26-2007 at 04:32 PM
Oops, that's right, it's agua mala.
Marie-Rose - 11-27-2007 at 07:53 AM
A friend of ours got stung at LosCerritos last month and said it was the most painful thing he had ever experience. Had difficulty getting himself
home and spent the night in agony. Does anyone know if there is any merit to the thought of rubbing the area with sand immediately following the
bite? Any other remedies too help relieve the pain?
Osprey - 11-27-2007 at 08:14 AM
Judy, you might be right -- perhaps locals are useing Agua Malas for all jellyfish. Marie-Rose - sand, a towel, a piece of driftwood, a credit card
should be rubbed across the area affected to remove the stingers left in/on the skin. I think vinegar is the thing. Urine reportedly excites the
stinging cells of the PMWs. Urine does not excite the stinging cells of all jellies and if you see the thing that got you medicate accordingly.
In my beach vehicle: Voltaren and vinegar both for pain.
bajajudy - 11-27-2007 at 08:33 AM
Well here it is two days later and I woke up last night with the worse itching yet. Hydrocortisone cream was quite a relief.
I looked it up on Wiki and they said no alcohol, urine...a couple of other things....on the sting. first wash in salt water, never fresh then
vinegar.
Diver - 11-27-2007 at 10:42 AM
Marie-Rose,
Man-O-War stings can be VERY painful.
Do not rub with sand or rinse with fresh water !!
Douse with vinegar or papaya juice (or a wet poultice of Adolf's Meat Tenderizer), as quickly as possible.
Clean and rinse with salt water.
Take benedryl to stop the itching that will come later.
Use a topical lotion to cut the itch.
Watch closely for breathing problems or local swelling and get to the hospital immediately if any of these occur.
A shot of epinephrine is normally given but watch out if you have heart problems as this will elevate heart rate.
.
.
Heather - 11-27-2007 at 02:33 PM
The best thing to do when you get stung by a jellyfish (agua mala), is to stay in the water!! I've had many stings, mainly at Chileno in Cabo, and
the pain goes away the longer you stay in. I then put some hydrocortisone on when I get out. I have a couple of scars from the tentacles even after
a year or 2, so watch out! It was 2 summers ago, that the beach was blue with these little suckers. You couldn't go in the water, or even get to it,
as they were all washed up at the tide line. Another day or two and they were all gone! H.
ELINVESTIG8R - 11-27-2007 at 02:37 PM
Mythbusters: Vodka can cure the pain of a jellyfish sting.
confirmed
After receiving a sting from a jellyfish and then treating the wound with vodka, Kari noticed that most of the pain from the sting had disappeared.
Vodka-based treatment seem to have worked about as well as the traditional warm water-based solution.
The up side is you can drink it too.
Skipjack Joe - 11-27-2007 at 03:26 PM
Osprey recently posted about removing nematocysts with a credit card. Here's what wikipedia states:
"Once deactivated, the stinging cells must be removed. This can be accomplished by picking off tentacles left on the body.[9] First aid providers
should be careful to use gloves or another readily available barrier device to prevent personal injury, and to follow standard universal precautions.
After large pieces of the jellyfish are removed, shaving cream may be applied to the area and a knife edge, safety razor, or credit card may be used
to take away any remaining nematocysts."
Below is an electronmicrograph of a nematocyst being discharded. Nasty things, they are!