For some years now, during spring and early summers, the Costa del Sol and most of the Mediterranean coast have been invaded by fearsome and dangerous jellyfish. Persistent westerly winds and currents from the Atlantic have brought these muddy creatures to the shores of almost all of Spain , causing many beaches to close. This species is increasingly common in the Mediterranean and its bite causes extreme pain, respiratory problems and even heart failure. If you want to know how to protect yourself, here are some useful tricks to avoid jellyfish stings.
Tips to protect yourself and avoid jellyfish stings
Under certain conditions, usually after strong easterly winds and when the sea temperature is warmer, these slippery creatures make their way towards the shoreline and wreak havoc on swimmers . They are not particularly dangerous, however their sting can be painful and cause discomfort to their unfortunate victim. They are generally difficult to detect in the water and bathers feel the peck when they come into contact with the jellyfish tentacles.
Jellyfish are like balloons that float on the surface of the sea and their long tentacles are so dangerous under the water. If you have children, beware of jellyfish that are washed ashore , their shape makes them ideal targets for young and curious fingers.
Symptoms of jellyfish stings
Jellyfish stings have several symptoms:
- Pain.
- Burning sensation
- Swelling and redness
- Bleeding
Symptoms usually subside after a few hours , however in some cases, if a patient is allergic to the sting or suffers from other illnesses , they can be more severe and medical treatment may be necessary.
How to prevent and avoid jellyfish stings
Here are a series of tips that can be very useful to avoid jellyfish stings:
Look for the flag
Look around the beach, where you are going to spend the day, the flags with jellyfish drawn. If the lifeguards have raised this flag, it means that there are jellyfish in the water and there is a risk of stings.
Be careful on the shore
Jellyfish often wash up on the shore; Make sure not to touch them and be careful with children , as due to their curiosity they can be bitten when they play on the shore.
Buy special cream
There is a special cream that acts as protection against sunburn and jellyfish stings . Apparently, it includes a plankton extract that acts on 4 different levels to avoid activating the jellyfish sting mechanism with the following results:
- It makes the tentacles of the jellyfish glide over the skin.
- It confuses the sensors in the stinging cells, this leads them to believe that they are touching another jellyfish.
- It blocks the communication between the sensors and the cell body.
- Releases inhibitors that prevent the triggering of stab darts.
The cream is available for children and adults and can be purchased at any pharmacy.
Use a mobile app to avoid encountering them
If you are staying near the Mediterranean coast, there is a mobile application that you can download to your smartphone and that allows you to know the state of all the beaches on the coast and whether or not there are jellyfish in its waters.
Now you are ready to deal with these pesky critters that can completely ruin a nice afternoon at the beach. Fortunately, jellyfish do not appear very often, but at least you will know what to do if you come across them on one of your trips.
