Jellyfish Precautions and Remedies

The typical jellyfish found in Majorca are not really good swimmers and they usually arrive to the beach by the sea currents. They feed from small fish after injecting them with paralysing poison. For people, the sting of one of these jellyfish is just painful.

In the Mediterranean Jellyfish do not attack, but if you touch their tentacles, they will sting as a defence mechanism. Usually jellyfish stings in Majorca are not critical, unless the person is allergic to the poison or has some specific disease. Even when they are not critical, they can be really painful and sore.

The typical symptoms are pain, burning and itching sensation, swelling and redness of the area and even bleeding.

To prevent jellyfish's stings, here are some precautions to take:

1. Keep an eye for the flags on the beach indicating if swimming is safe.
2. Do NOT touch jellyfish, even if they look dead.
3. Use special Sun protection creams that have jellyfish repellent in them.

If a jellyfish stings, here are some guidelines and remedies:

• DO NOT to clean the area with fresh water as it will spread the venom through the skin, increasing the affected area. Saline or sea water should be used.
• Apply something cold to the area for 15 minutes to reduce the swelling and pain (never apply ice directly on the skin as it can burn it) and wash the area with fresh water as it melts.
• DO NOT scratch the area as it will become further irritated.
• You can also apply vinegar to reduce the itchiness and pain but is not a remedy.
• Remove any left over tentacles with tweezers or gloves.
• A special cream that can be bought in pharmacies will need to be applied 4 times a day for a week to reduce the swelling and reduced scarring.
• If necessary seek trained first aid assistance to remove any possible tentacle left on the skin, apply antihistamines and analgesics.
• The major concern of jellyfish in Majorca is if a person is stung for a second time within a year, as they can suffer an anaphylactic shock. So if it is your second sting, seek medical attention immediately.
• If there is more than 1 sting or if the person is allergic, the jellyfish poison can cause thoracic pain, muscle cramps and difficulty breathing. If this occurs get immediate medical assistance.
• The emergency number in Majorca is 112.