Overview

Walking on a beach or swimming in the ocean can be fun and relaxing. But just like with any other activities, accidents can happen. This topic gives an overview of jellyfish and Portuguese man-of-war stings, seabather's eruption, and coral scrapes.

Stings

Jellyfish and Portuguese man-of-wars can be found all over the world. They cause injury and illness through the release of venom when they come in contact with skin (stinging). While the sting of a jellyfish or Portuguese man-of-war can cause severe illness and extreme pain, deaths are rare.

Jellyfish are often found in coastal waters. It's often hard to see jellyfish swimming in the water. Beached jellyfish, which may look like a clear plastic wrapper, can sting if touched.

Jellyfish stings cause intense pain and burning right away. The pain can last for several hours. Raised, red welts form along the site of the sting. The welts may last for 1 to 2 weeks, and itchy skin rashes may appear 1 to 4 weeks after the sting.

Seabather's eruption is a rash from the stings of jellyfish or sea anemone larvae. The rash can be quite itchy and annoying. But it usually goes away without medical treatment in 10 to 14 days.

Portuguese man-of-wars live in warm seas throughout the world. They float on the surface of the water with their long, stinging tentacles trailing in the water below. Detached tentacles that wash up on the beach may remain dangerous for months.

Portuguese man-of-war stings produce immediate burning pain and redness where the tentacles touched the skin. The affected area develops a red line with small white lesions. In severe cases, blisters and welts that look like a string of beads may appear. Stings that involve the eye may cause pain, swelling, excessive tears, blurred vision, or increased sensitivity to light. Severe reactions are most likely to occur in children and small adults. Severe toxic reactions to the venom can also occur.

Stingrays have sharp spines in their tails that can cause cuts or puncture wounds. The spines also have venom. Stingrays don't bite, but they can suck with their mouths and leave a bruise.

Coral scrapes

Coral scrapes and cuts are common injuries that may occur when you walk on a beach or swim, snorkel, or dive in warm water. You may get a skin infection if small pieces of coral, other debris, and bacteria get inside the wound. Scrapes and cuts from sharp-edged coral may take weeks or even months to heal.

Self-Care

Caring for a jellyfish or Portuguese man-of-war sting

Any stings to the eyes need emergency treatment.

Try these tips for caring for a sting from a jellyfish or Portuguese man-of-war.

• Don't rub.
  • Do not rub the tentacles with your hands, a towel, sand, or clothing.
• Remove the tentacles carefully.
  • Pick off tentacles with a stick or your hand protected by a towel or glove. Be very careful not to rub or press the tentacles.
• Try a nonprescription medicine to relieve itching, redness, and swelling. Be safe with medicines. Read and follow all instructions on the label.
  • An antihistamine that you take by mouth may help relieve itching, redness, and swelling.
  • Hydrocortisone 1% cream applied to the skin may help relieve itching and redness. You may need to check with your doctor first if you need to use the cream for a child younger than age 2 or you need to use it in the genital area.

If a sting leaves open sores, clean them 2 times a day. Apply a thin layer of petroleum jelly (such as Vaseline), and cover with a light bandage.

Caring for coral scrapes and cuts

Try these tips for caring for minor coral scrapes or cuts.

• Wash the wound.
  • Wash your hands well with soap and water, if available.
  • Put on medical gloves before cleaning the wound, if available.
  • Remove large pieces of dirt or other debris from the wound with cleaned tweezers. Do not push the tweezers deeply into the wound.
  • Wash the wound with soap under running tap water (the more the better) to remove all the dirt, debris, and bacteria from the wound.
  • Scrub gently with a washcloth. (Moderate scrubbing may be needed if the wound is very dirty.) Hard scrubbing may actually cause more damage to the tissue and increase the chance of infection. Scrubbing the wound will probably hurt and may increase bleeding, but it is necessary to clean the wound thoroughly.
  • After washing, rinse the wound with a large amount of water.
  • After rinsing with water, rinse the wound again with a solution of one-half hydrogen peroxide and one-half water.
  • After rinsing with a solution of one-half hydrogen peroxide and one-half water, rinse again with fresh water.
• Stop bleeding with direct pressure to the wound.
• Apply a nonstick bandage.
  • Cover the wound with a thin layer of petroleum jelly, such as Vaseline, and a nonstick bandage.
  • Apply more petroleum jelly and replace the bandage as needed.
  • Apply a clean bandage when it gets wet or soiled to further help prevent infection.
  • If a bandage is stuck to a scab, soak it in warm water to soften the scab and make the bandage easier to remove.
• Watch for symptoms of a skin infection.

Be patient. Coral scrapes and cuts may take weeks and sometimes even months to heal completely.

Caring for seabather's eruption

Here are some self-care tips for seabather's eruption.

• Prevent more stings.
  • Don't rub your skin. If larvae are on your skin, rubbing will cause them to sting.
  • Remove your swimsuit as soon as you can. Larvae can get trapped in the fabric of your suit. So it's important to remove a contaminated suit to prevent more stings. The swimsuit needs to be machine washed or rinsed in rubbing alcohol or vinegar and then washed with soap and water to get rid of any larvae.
• Rinse with vinegar or rubbing alcohol.
  • If available, use household vinegar (5% acetic acid solution) or rubbing alcohol (40%–70% isopropyl alcohol) to rinse your skin.
• Shower with fresh water.
  • Apply soap, and vigorously scrub your skin.
  • Don't shower with a contaminated suit on. If larvae are trapped in the fabric of a suit, a freshwater shower will cause the larvae to sting.

Try a nonprescription medicine to relieve itching, redness, and swelling. Be safe with medicines. Read and follow all instructions on the label.

An antihistamine that you take by mouth may help relieve itching, redness, and swelling.

Hydrocortisone 1% cream applied to the skin may help relieve itching and redness. You may need to check with your doctor first if you need to use the cream for a child younger than age 2 or you need to use it in the genital area.

Wash the rash with clean water daily.

When to call for help during self-care

Call 911 if any of the following occur during self-care at home:

• New or worse trouble breathing, wheezing, or tightness in the chest.
• New or worse swelling of the throat, tongue, lips, or mouth.

Call a doctor if any of the following occur during self-care at home:

• New or worse rash.
• New or worse signs of infection. This may include redness, warmth, swelling, pus, or a fever.

Learn more

Preparing For Your Appointment

• Making the Most of Your Appointment