Pee on me? The dangers of urinating on a jellyfish sting!
One of our missions here at Peak Survival is providing accurate facts and educating the public. Urinating on a jellyfish sting can actually release more toxins, making it even more painful. There is more to urinating a sting to alleviate the pain! The burning, throbbing pain produced by a jellyfish sting comes from the release of venom from the stingers or nematocysts that attach to the skin upon contact with a tentacle. When urine or even freshwater are put on the nematocysts, the change in the concentration of salts can trigger the discharged of a secondwave of venom. OUCH!
To properly treat a sting from a majority of species:
-rinse a sting with salt water
-soak a thin cloth in vinegar and hold it on the sting for 30 min to deactivate the nematocysts
Once neutralized:
-make a paste from seawater and sand and apply it to the affected area
-scrape the stingers from the skin using the edge of a flat shell, a credit card or a safety razor.
Happy and safe swimming!
