What’s a Jellyfish?

A jellyfish is a jiggly animal that lives in the ocean. Some jellyfish look like small, clear blobs. Others are bigger, colorful, and have tentacles that hang down. When jellyfish hunt for sea creatures to eat, they sting them first to make them easier to catch.

Sometimes people who swim in the ocean get stung if they brush against a jellyfish. You also can get stung if you step on a live or dead jellyfish with your bare feet.

What Does a Jellyfish Sting Look and Feel Like?

When you’re stung, the jellyfish leaves thousands of very tiny stingers in your skin (so small, you can’t see them!). The stingers release a little venom. This may leave a red mark and make your skin feel itchy, numb, tingly, or painful.

What Should You Do for a Jellyfish Sting?

If you get stung by a jellyfish, get out of the water and tell an adult. An adult can follow these steps:

• Don’t rub the area.
• Ask the lifeguard what to rinse the area with. In some areas of the world, it is best to use vinegar while in other areas, seawater is best. Do not rinse with fresh water.
• Use tweezers to pull off any tentacles still on the skin. Don’t try to scrape them off with a plastic card or anything else.
• To help with pain, try a hot (but not too hot) shower or soak. Don’t use ice or ice packs.

What Do Doctors Do?

Most kids don’t need to see a doctor for a jellyfish sting. If they do, the doctor might suggest a special cream or medicine to feel better.

When Is a Jellyfish Sting an Emergency?

A jellyfish sting is hardly ever an emergency. A few types of jellyfish that live near Australia, the Philippines, the Indian Ocean, and the central Pacific Ocean are dangerous, and can make people sick quickly.

Call for help right away if someone is stung by a jellyfish in one of these regions, has stings over a large part of the body, or was stung in the eye or mouth. Also call if a person gets stung by a jellyfish and has any of these problems:

• trouble breathing or swallowing
• a swollen tongue or lips, or a change in voice
• bad pain or feeling sick
• feels nauseated or is throwing up 
• dizziness or a headache
• muscle spasm

How Can I Avoid Jellyfish Stings?

You can’t always avoid meeting up with a jellyfish in the ocean. But it’s a good idea to check and see if the lifeguards at your beach posted a sign warning about jellyfish in the area.

The best way to stay prepared in case of a jellyfish sting is to ask the adult who takes you to the beach to pack a pair of tweezers in the beach bag.