No, it's not Jaws! But, there is something you should think about when swimming in the ocean - jellyfish! While most contact with jellyfish will not cause a serious reaction, there are some, including the Portuguese man-o-war, that are known to cause more serious reactions, including swelling, rash, pain and itch.
If you are unlucky enough to have an encounter with a jellyfish's tentacles, you may wish you hadn't gone swimming in the first place. Jellyfish are to be taken seriously, because their tentacles contain millions of small, stinging cells called nematocysts. Stings can range from mild burns and skin redness to excruciating pain, nausea, low blood pressure and shortness of breath. One particular type of jellyfish - a Sea Wasp - found in Australia can cause death with its sting.
Even broken jellyfish or their tentacles found on the beach or shoreline can still keep their stinging power for months, so they should not be handled or stepped on.
*IMPORTANT MESSAGE FOR PARENTS!!
Stings in the facial or genital area, or those accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and difficulty of breathing, should receive emergency medical assistance.
Fishing for Help...
In the case of a jellyfish sting, go to the lifeguard or first aid station immediately. The skin should be rinsed with seawater or saltwater (use of fresh water can cause the release of more stinging cells) and then soaked in vinegar for 30 minutes. Adults should remove the large tentacle fragments using gloves, forceps or tongs, but do not touch the tentacles with bare hands. Apply shaving cream or a paste of baking soda, sand or mud (in seawater) and have an adult "shave" the affected area with a clean, sharp-edged object, such as a razor, Swiss Army knife or a clamshell. Wash the area with soapy water, then apply a thin layer of hydrocortisone cream, such as Lanacort 10® twice a day.
The best thing to do to avoid jellyfish is to be careful where you swim and when you swim. Broken jellyfish and their tentacles are often washed ashore after storms. Also, jellyfish tend to migrate up the coast into warmer waters as the summer progresses. Keeping this in mind, swim when the area is clear and avoid long swims at the height of their migration to your area.
