
Cosa fare se vieni punto da una medusa
Revisione paritaria di Dr Colin Tidy, MRCGPUltimo aggiornamento di Victoria RawUltimo aggiornamento 17 Lug 2025
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Ogni anno circa 150 milioni di persone vengono punte dalle meduse in tutto il mondo. Mentre alcune possono essere innocue, altre potrebbero non esserlo, quindi agire rapidamente è fondamentale per trattare una puntura e prevenire effetti collaterali gravi o la morte. Scopri qui cosa fare e cosa non fare.
What does a jellyfish sting look like?
The symptoms of a jellyfish sting usually include an itchy, sometimes painful rash. If more severe this rash may blister, before filling with pus and rupturing.
The jellyfish might also leave a print of its tentacle, which usually shows in red, brown, or purple marks. The skin will feel very sensitive and sore.
What type of jellyfish sting is most dangerous?
Many types of jellyfish are harmless to humans, In the UK many jelly fish stings are more like getting stung by nettles and cause a similar tingly rash. The types of jelly fish in the UK waters which cause more intense stings are the lion's mane and the mauve stinger which can give electric shock like stings. Whilst still rare, the Portuguese man o'war is being found more frequently on the west coast of the UK.
Other types of jellyfish which can give a more severe sting include:
Meduse scatola - found in the Pacific and Indian oceans.
Bluebottle jellyfish - found in warmer seas.
Sea nettle - found along the northeast coast of the United States.
Sea wasp - found around Australia and Southeast Asia.
Come trattare una puntura di medusa
How long you are exposed to the stingers also impacts the severity of a sting, as does how much of your skin that is affected. Children are most likely to have severe reactions, along with people who have other health conditions.
In rare cases some people who have been stung may have a severe allergic reaction (anafilassi) and will require emergency care.
Symptoms can include:
Shock.
Severe pain.
Swelling of the lips, tongue, mouth, throat, neck, ears, eyelids, palms, or soles of the feet.
Difficoltà a respirare.
How long does a jellyfish sting last?
Most people will feel an intense pain immediately after the sting - which usually lasts between 1-2 hours. The itchy sensation, on the other hand, can last up to a week, and several weeks in more severe cases.
Some jellyfish stings may cause a reaction across your entire body, including:
Debolezza.
Dolore allo stomaco.
Sudorazione eccessiva.
Jellyfish sting treatment
Top tips for treating a jellyfish sting:
Rinse the affected area with seawater as soon as possible.
Use tweezers to remove any visible jellyfish tentacles which may be trapped on your skin - or scrape off with a credit card. Never use your bare hands to remove the stings.
Use warm water to soak your skin, either by immersing your skin into a bowl or using a washcloth, making sure it's as hot as you can tolerate without burning your skin.
Keep your skin soaked in water to wash away the burning, keeping a stream of hot water on your skin for at least 20 minutes.
Take some immediate pain relief if necessary - such as paracetamol or ibuprofen.
Apply calamine lotion or hydrocortisone cream if needed.
Do not cover the wound.
When to see a doctor about a jellyfish sting
If you are holidaying in a foreign country, after following the above steps, you should seek medical treatment, since you’re likely to be less informed on what has stung you - it’s better to be safe than sorry.
If your tetanus vaccination is not up to date, you will need to see a doctor to get a booster shot.
In rare cases, jellyfish stings can be life-threatening. As the sting develops, there’s a chance you might need urgent medical attention.
You should seek emergency health care straight away.
Call for an emergency ambulance (999 in the UK) - if the person stung:
Has signs of an anafilattica reaction.
Experiences difficulty breathing.
Develops chest pains.
Starts having a seizure.
Vomits.
Bleeds continuously.
Develops severe swelling around the sting.
Loses consciousness.
Sometimes jellyfish stings can become infetto. Please see a doctor immediately if you have any of the signs of an infection, such as the wound becoming more painful, more redness, or you develop a fever.
Does pee help a jellyfish sting?
You should not pee on a jellyfish sting. This is just a myth and there is no evidence that pee has any benefit.
In fact, studies have shown the opposite. Your pee contains compounds such as ammonia and urea, which could be helpful on their own if you’ve been stung. However, since pee contains a lot of water, rinsing your sting with it means the ammonia and urea will be too diluted to be of any use.
First aid treatment is the primary concern when dealing with jellyfish stings. You should focus on removing the tentacles from your skin and treating the contacted area to avoid the further release of nematocysts - the thousands of tiny cells on their tentacles.
Responding quickly after a sting can avoid an increase in venom load and potentially save a life.
How to avoid being stung by a jellyfish
To reduce your chances of being stung by a jellyfish, you can avoid water during jellyfish season from mid-spring through to late summer and early autumn. However, this isn't always possible, especially as summer time is holiday season.
So, here are some protective measures you can take when swimming in water where there might be jellyfish:
Keep an eye out for warning signs on beaches, alerting you to jellyfish or other sea creatures.
Talk to lifeguards or officials before swimming in open water to make yourself aware of the hazards.
Don’t ever touch a jellyfish - even if you think it is dead.
Wear a protective wetsuit and something on your feet when swimming in open water.
Wear sandals when walking in rocky or shallow water.
Get clued up on how jellyfish move - as they tend to go along with ocean currents.
Make sure you know what to do if you or someone else is stung.
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Informazioni sull'autoreVisualizza il profilo completo

Emily Jane Bashforth
Scrittore di Articoli
NCTJ
Emily è una scrittrice di articoli per Patient, scrivendo articoli su una varietà di argomenti relativi alla salute e al benessere.
Informazioni sul recensoreVisualizza il profilo completo

Dr Colin Tidy, MRCGP
Medico di base, Autore medico
MBBS, MRCGP, MRCP (Paediatrics), DCH
Il Dr Colin Tidy è un medico del NHS, con sede nell'Oxfordshire.
Storia dell'articolo
Le informazioni su questa pagina sono revisionate da clinici qualificati.
Articolo disponibile anche in Inglese, Tedesco, Spagnolo, Francese, Italiano, Portoghese, Hindi, Ebraico, Arabo, and Svedese.
Prossima revisione prevista: 18 Lug 2027
17 Lug 2025 | Ultima versione
19 Aug 2022 | Pubblicato originariamente
Autore:
Emily Jane Bashforth

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