Healthy Travel -- When the sea bites back

Jellyfish and Portuguese man-o-war are encountered frequently in warm ocean waters. Both have tentacles that can stick to the skin and will continue stinging even after they are broken off or the animal is dead.

Treatment:

Always rinse with salt water, not fresh, which can stimulate more stinging. If tentacles are still attached, do not rub them. Instead, cover them with sand and then scrape them off with a knife, sea shell, comb, credit card or similar object.

Do not apply meat tenderizer to the area of the sting! Rinse it with white vinegar, then apply a cloth or paper towel soaked in vinegar. If no vinegar is available, use rubbing alcohol, or a paste made of baking soda.

Caution: Just as with bee stings, some people will have an extreme allergic reaction to sea stings. Watch out for signs of anaphylactic shock, including extreme swelling, widespread rash, difficulty breathing, confusion, and sudden fainting. Seek medical help immediately if stings are severe or shock occurs.

Seabather's eruption, also known as "sea lice," can happen when a swimmer passes through a cloud of almost transparent larvae of certain jellyfish. When the larvae become trapped between the swimsuit and skin, they release their venom, which contains extremely irritating and allergy-producing enzymes and proteins. About 10,000 cases occur each year in the United States.

Symptoms:

• A prickling sensation while swimming in tropical seawater
• Mild fever
• Small, raised, red, painful sores all over the area where the bathing suit covered the body

Where and when:

• South Florida and throughout the Caribbean
• Peak season is March until August

Prevention:

• Swim only in a swimming pool.
• If you are going into the ocean, wear as little skin covering as possible, and no T-shirts.
• If you feel stinging while swimming or diving, leave the water and remove your bathing suit before showering.

Treatment:

• Use topical antihistamine creams, such as Benadryl, and anti-itch creams containing hydrocortisone. In severe cases, oral steroids may be taken.
• Discard the swimming suit that you were wearing to avoid another eruption.