After recent reports that increasing numbers of jellyfish have been spotted along the UK coastline, the British Red Cross has issued some vital first aid advice to people who may encounter them.
Many people believe that urine can be the best treatment for a jellyfish sting, helping to alleviate the pain, but the Red Cross and anyone who has ever attended a first aid training course will tell you that this is not true.
Joe Mulligan, the head of first aid at the charity, explains:
“A sting from a jellyfish can be extremely painful, but trying to treat it with urine isn’t going to make your day any better,”
“Urine just doesn’t have the right chemical make-up to solve the problem.”
Instead, the Red Cross is recommending that bathers suffering from a jellyfish sting use seawater, as its salt content can help to ease the pain. Even more effective is vinegar, if you can find some immediately after a jellyfish sting, as the acid it contains will help to neutralise the sting.
It is also important, according to the charity, to get out of the sea immediately following a jellyfish sting, to avoid being stung again.