Illness name: jellyfish and other sea creature stings

  • Original languages: English

Description:

Jellyfish and other sea creature stings

Most stings from sea creatures in the UK are not serious and can be treated with first aid. Sometimes you may need to go to hospital.

What to do if you've been stung

Important: Get help if possible

Ask a lifeguard or someone with first aid training for help.

If help is not available:

Do

  • rinse the affected area with seawater (not fresh water)

  • remove any spines from the skin using tweezers or the edge of a bank card

  • soak the area in very warm water (as hot as can be tolerated) for at least 30 minutes – use hot flannels or towels if you cannot soak it

  • take painkillers like paracetamol or ibuprofen

Don’t

  • do not use vinegar

  • do not pee on the sting

  • do not apply ice or a cold pack

  • do not touch any spines with your bare hands

  • do not cover or close the wound

Non-urgent advice: Go to a minor injuries unit if you have:

  • severe pain that is not going away
  • been stung on your face or genitals
  • been stung by a stingray

Find your nearest minor injuries unit

Immediate action required: Go to A&E or call 999 if:

you've been stung and have:

  • difficulty breathing
  • chest pain
  • fits or seizures
  • severe swelling around the affected area
  • severe bleeding
  • vomiting
  • lightheadedness or loss of consciousness

Find your nearest A&E department

Symptoms of sea creature stings

The main symptoms of sea creature stings are intense pain where you're stung and an itchy rash.

Jellyfish and Portuguese man-of-war stings can also cause raised circular areas on the skin (welts).

How to avoid being stung

Do

  • look out for beach warning signs

  • consider wearing a wetsuit when swimming in the sea, particularly during the spring and summer

  • wear waterproof shoes or sandals when walking in shallow water or rocky areas

  • scuff or stamp your feet when walking in shallow water to make sea creatures aware you're approaching

Don’t

  • do not touch or handle sea creatures that sting

UK sea creatures that sting

Jellyfish.
Credit:

Was formerly downloaded from Dovapi / Thinkstock T_1017_jellyfish_467428219.jpg Can be purchased if required from: Pavlo Vakhrushev / Alamy Stock Photo https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-orange-jellyfish-chrysaora-fuscescens-or-pacific-sea-nettle-in-blue-73685872.html?pv=1&stamp=2&imageid=6C4346EE-9F9B-4D71-8840-C6E4C8DD1931&p=61880&n=21&orientation=0&pn=1&searchtype=0&IsFromSearch=1&srch=foo%3Dbar%26st%3D0%26sortby%3D2%26qt%3DORANGE%2520jellyfish%26qt_raw%3DORANGE%2520jellyfish%26qn%3D%26lic%3D3%26edrf%3D0%26mr%3D0%26pr%3D0%26aoa%3D1%26creative%3D%26videos%3D%26nu%3D%26ccc%3D%26bespoke%3D%26apalib%3D%26ag%3D0%26hc%3D0%26et%3D0x000000000000000000000%26vp%3D0%26loc%3D0%26ot%3D0%26imgt%3D0%26dtfr%3D%26dtto%3D%26size%3D0xFF%26blackwhite%3D%26cutout%3D%26archive%3D1%26name%3D%26groupid%3D%26pseudoid%3D788068%26userid%3D%26id%3D%26a%3D%26xstx%3D0%26cbstore%3D1%26resultview%3DsortbyPopular%26lightbox%3D%26gname%3D%26gtype%3D%26apalic%3D%26tbar%3D1%26pc%3D%26simid%3D%26cap%3D1%26customgeoip%3D%26vd%3D0%26cid%3D%26pe%3D%26so%3D%26lb%3D%26pl%3D0%26plno%3D%26fi%3D0%26langcode%3Den%26upl%3D0%26cufr%3D%26cuto%3D%26howler%3D%26cvrem%3D0%26cvtype%3D0%26cvloc%3D0%26cl%3D0%26upfr%3D%26upto%3D%26primcat%3D%26seccat%3D%26cvcategory%3D*%26restriction%3D%26random%3D%26ispremium%3D1%26flip%3D0%26contributorqt%3D%26plgalleryno%3D%26plpublic%3D0%26viewaspublic%3D0%26isplcurate%3D0%26imageurl%3D%26saveQry%3D%26editorial%3D1%26t%3D0%26edoptin%3D

Watch out for jellyfish on the beach.
Credit:

Arterra Picture Library / Alamy Stock Photo https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-barrel-jellyfish-dustbin-lid-jellyfish-rhizostoma-octopus-rhizostoma-85030843.html?pv=1&stamp=2&imageid=D3280A35-5002-4C5F-8356-CAC24EC738A9&p=80871&n=0&orientation=0&pn=1&searchtype=0&IsFromSearch=1&srch=foo%3dbar%26st%3d0%26pn%3d1%26ps%3d100%26sortby%3d2%26resultview%3dsortbyPopular%26npgs%3d0%26qt%3dEX9DKR%26qt_raw%3dEX9DKR%26lic%3d3%26mr%3d0%26pr%3d0%26ot%3d0%26creative%3d%26ag%3d0%26hc%3d0%26pc%3d%26blackwhite%3d%26cutout%3d%26tbar%3d1%26et%3d0x000000000000000000000%26vp%3d0%26loc%3d0%26imgt%3d0%26dtfr%3d%26dtto%3d%26size%3d0xFF%26archive%3d1%26groupid%3d%26pseudoid%3d387440%26a%3d%26cdid%3d%26cdsrt%3d%26name%3d%26qn%3d%26apalib%3d%26apalic%3d%26lightbox%3d%26gname%3d%26gtype%3d%26xstx%3d0%26simid%3d%26saveQry%3d%26editorial%3d1%26nu%3d%26t%3d%26edoptin%3d%26customgeoip%3d%26cap%3d1%26cbstore%3d1%26vd%3d0%26lb%3d%26fi%3d2%26edrf%3d0%26ispremium%3d1%26flip%3d0%26pl%3d

Portuguese man-of-war.
Credit:

MIKE THEISS/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY https://www.sciencephoto.com/media/365599/view

Weever fish.
Credit:

Arterra Picture Library / Alamy Stock Photo https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-greater-weever-fish-trachinus-draco-lying-on-the-seabed-57572452.html?pv=1&stamp=2&imageid=DFC11B42-0F64-46A1-B54B-EE196EF55D76&p=80862&n=0&orientation=0&pn=1&searchtype=0&IsFromSearch=1&srch=foo%3dbar%26st%3d0%26pn%3d1%26ps%3d100%26sortby%3d2%26resultview%3dsortbyPopular%26npgs%3d0%26qt%3dD9JJ70%26qt_raw%3dD9JJ70%26lic%3d3%26mr%3d0%26pr%3d0%26ot%3d0%26creative%3d%26ag%3d0%26hc%3d0%26pc%3d%26blackwhite%3d%26cutout%3d%26tbar%3d1%26et%3d0x000000000000000000000%26vp%3d0%26loc%3d0%26imgt%3d0%26dtfr%3d%26dtto%3d%26size%3d0xFF%26archive%3d1%26groupid%3d%26pseudoid%3d731695%26a%3d%26cdid%3d%26cdsrt%3d%26name%3d%26qn%3d%26apalib%3d%26apalic%3d%26lightbox%3d%26gname%3d%26gtype%3d%26xstx%3d0%26simid%3d%26saveQry%3d%26editorial%3d1%26nu%3d%26t%3d%26edoptin%3d%26customgeoip%3d%26cap%3d1%26cbstore%3d1%26vd%3d0%26lb%3d%26fi%3d2%26edrf%3d0%26ispremium%3d1%26flip%3d0%26pl%3d

Sea urchins.
Credit:

Comstock Images / Thinkstock

Stingrays.
Credit:

Yann-HUBERT / Thinkstock https://www.istockphoto.com/gb/photo/grey-stingray-himantura-sp-gm487839748-73695753 Can be downloaded here if rights change: HUBERT YANN / Alamy Stock Photo https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-small-group-of-grey-stingray-swimming-around-86405473.html?pv=1&stamp=2&imageid=6E2DACB6-19DE-4347-AF8B-1FF17FE4A462&p=265768&n=0&orientation=0&pn=1&searchtype=0&IsFromSearch=1&srch=foo%3Dbar%26st%3D0%26sortby%3D2%26qt%3DSMALL%2520GROUP%2520OF%2520GREY%2520STINGRAY%2520SWIMMING%2520AROUND%26qt_raw%3DSMALL%2520GROUP%2520OF%2520GREY%2520STINGRAY%2520SWIMMING%2520AROUND%26qn%3D%26lic%3D3%26edrf%3D0%26mr%3D0%26pr%3D0%26aoa%3D1%26creative%3D%26videos%3D%26nu%3D%26ccc%3D%26bespoke%3D%26apalib%3D%26ag%3D0%26hc%3D0%26et%3D0x000000000000000000000%26vp%3D0%26loc%3D0%26ot%3D0%26imgt%3D0%26dtfr%3D%26dtto%3D%26size%3D0xFF%26blackwhite%3D%26cutout%3D%26archive%3D1%26name%3D%26groupid%3D%26pseudoid%3D731695%26userid%3D%26id%3D%26a%3D%26xstx%3D0%26cbstore%3D1%26resultview%3DsortbyPopular%26lightbox%3D%26gname%3D%26gtype%3D%26apalic%3D%26tbar%3D1%26pc%3D%26simid%3D%26cap%3D1%26customgeoip%3D%26vd%3D0%26cid%3D%26pe%3D%26so%3D%26lb%3D%26pl%3D0%26plno%3D%26fi%3D0%26langcode%3Den%26upl%3D0%26cufr%3D%26cuto%3D%26howler%3D%26cvrem%3D0%26cvtype%3D0%26cvloc%3D0%26cl%3D0%26upfr%3D%26upto%3D%26primcat%3D%26seccat%3D%26cvcategory%3D*%26restriction%3D%26random%3D%26ispremium%3D1%26flip%3D0%26contributorqt%3D%26plgalleryno%3D%26plpublic%3D0%26viewaspublic%3D0%26isplcurate%3D0%26imageurl%3D%26saveQry%3D%26editorial%3D1%26t%3D0%26edoptin%3D

Page last reviewed: 16 June 2021
Next review due: 16 June 2024