Neither urinate nor fresh water in the lesion: What should be done in case of a bite of jellyfish?

In the case of a bite of jellyfish, do not light it! Every year, the surroundings of the beaches see garbage with these live and sharp frosts. This is particularly the case on the beaches of Marseille, where facilities and vacationers begin to see that these creatures appear more and more in recent days.

If these unwanted guests are part of the landscape, the methods applied to treat their painful bites do not always correspond to good practices.

In the first place, this is what should not be done: “Do not rinse the bite with fresh water”, “avoid contact with the wound, do not scratch,” “Do not light the wound, this can cause infection,” summarize the members of the National Rescue Society (SNSM).

Good practices

But then what are the practices to adopt? First, it is recommended to get out of the water calmly, some people who experience difficulties to swim after a bite, disabled by pain.

Then, if the beach is supervised, it is advisable to resort to rescuers, professionals who know the procedure to follow. Otherwise, this is what to do with self -managed first aid, according to the SNSM:

• Rinse abundantly with seawater, if possible warm, without rubbing
• Remove the spicy filaments attached to the skin. To do this, apply hot and fine sand to the wound and then scratch gently with a rigid cardboard (a postcard, for example) or a bank card. You can also use tweezers if you have one.
• Rinse with seawater again
• If you can, or back home, disinfect the wound with an antiseptic and then apply an anti -inflammatory ointment.
• Finally, if he finds that the stuck area swells or finds it difficult to breathe, communicate immediately with the closest help.

It is also recommended that people chopped by the marine animal denounce their presence to rescuers or other bathers to avoid a new similar incident. Keep in mind that jellyfish on our coasts are not very dangerous. In the Canal de la Mancha and in the North Sea, the aurélie, blue or pink jellyfish, is slightly sharp, as well as the rhizostomapulmo jellyfish on the Atlantic side.

The most painful is the pelagic jellyfish, which is found in the Mediterranean. Its color can vary: orange or purple, stained red, likes in hot water. “Due to the warm -up of the ocean, we begin to find it on the Atlantic coast,” French rescuers note.

But in general, pain only lasts for a while. “Most of the time, it does not matter to be bitten by a jellyfish, it is a great discomfort, but it will leave, the substance has a rather short useful life,” says BFMTV health consultant Aurel Guedj, an emergency doctor.