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Holiday accident, youclaim.co.uk

Symptoms and treatment of jellyfish holiday injury

Every year millions of holiday-makers visit sunny beaches and other exciting locations around the world, but some favourite tourist destinations are known for the jellyfish which inhabit the coastal waters and where swimming could result in severe holiday injury.

Even the UK's shores see dangerous jellyfish at certain times of year. Jellyfish warning signs are up on beaches which suffer regularly from the problem, but sometimes authorities do not warn swimmers of the risk.

Types of jellyfish
Most jellyfish inflict a painful sting, but are not often known to cause a fatal injury. Their toxins tend only to be deadly to small fish or other jellyfish.

  • Sea Nettles - Are most often found on the east and west coasts of North America and in the Atlantic and parts of the Pacific Ocean. Their bell is usually around six to eight inches in diameter and their tentacles hold a paralysing toxin. When they do accidentally sting humans the damage is normally moderate to severe. In some people it can cause an allergic reaction which in some cases can cause death, but this happens very rarely.

  • Moon jellies - Are not a threat to swimmers at all. They are one of the most common types of jellyfish, but their tentacles do not sting humans.

  • Cannonball jellyfish - Can be found in the western Atlantic Ocean and parts of the Pacific Ocean. The Cannonball reaches about eight to ten inches in diameter. They are not known to sting humans, but their toxins can cause cardiac problems in some people. Contact with their tentacles can lead to irregular heart rhythms. They also release a toxin which can be harmful to eyes and is highly painful.

  • Egg-yolk jellyfish Is very large at an average of 60 cm in diameter and with tentacles growing up to 6 metres, but has extremely weak sting and poses no danger to humans. It can be found in many of the world's cooler waters.

  • Nomura's Jellyfish - Typically found around China and Korea, this jellyfish is the largest known jellyfish in the world. It can grow close to 2 metres in diameter and in length, and weigh about 220 kg, which is about the same weight as a fully-grown lion. Its sting is known to be very painful, but generally does not contain enough toxins to kill someone. However, the poison has occasionally caused people's lungs to fill with fluid, leading to death.

  • Lion's mane jellyfish - Are not found in the Southern hemisphere at all. They choose to live in the waters of the Arctic Ocean and Northern Pacific Ocean. They can grow to sizes which rival Nomura's jellyfish, with tentacles over three metres in length, but only cause slight pain and redness and are not known to have killed anyone.

  • Compass jellyfish - Are an average of 30cm across and are found around coasts of Britain. Their sting is reported to be extremely painful but has never caused death.

Mistaken identity
There are more than 1,500 types of known jellyfish and the large majority of them can be found in seas and oceans, although a few live in freshwater lakes.

One of the most well-known types of jellyfish is the Box Jellyfish, sometimes called a Sea Wasp. It is one of about 19 different kinds of cubozoans, but it is in fact a completely separate species to the jellyfish.

Portuguese Man of War is again widely known as one of the most dangerous jellyfish, but does not belong to the jellyfish species either. Both can cause deadly stings and should be avoided at all costs.

Both Box Jellyfish and Portuguese Man of War are well known for causing holiday injury and resemble jellyfish, but are actually made up of millions of smaller organisms called hydrozoans and in scientific terms are described as siphonophores when they form a jellyfish-like body. True jellyfish are called scyphozoans.

Beaches which are frequented by these siphonophores should have signs put up by relevant authorities warning the public of the danger. These creatures are not only toxic in water, but remain toxic when washed up on the shore, where children may touch them out of curiosity.

Box Jellyfish and the Portuguese Man of War
Children are most at risk of severe holiday injury or death from the Box jellyfish or Man of War due to their smaller size, but adults are also known to have died from their stings. April 2010 saw a ten-year-old girl stung in Australia by a Box jellyfish. Her survival was considered a medical miracle.

Symptoms
The most recognisable symptom of a sting is severe pain. Toxins can cause redness and swelling in less serious cases, but in worse cases can result in headaches, vomiting, difficulty breathing and swallowing, fever-like symptoms, irregular pulse or complete heart-failure.

Treatments
Lifting off any remaining tentacles is a good idea, but if possible this should not be done by hand. Some jellyfish stings can be treated by pouring urine, vinegar or fresh water over the wound, but Box and Man of War stings, among others, should not be treated like this. Carefully pouring seawater over the stung area is a safer response to this holiday injury.

It is important not to rub the afflicted area, despite how tempting it may be.

Raising the stung limb to the same level of the heart should stop venom traveling to the heart and stop swelling. Also, tying a light bandage above and below the sting might stop venom spreading as quickly as it would otherwise.

Being careful not to drink any alcohol, take any medicine or eat any food is also vital to increasing chances of survival and decreasing further personal injury.

In all cases, medical help should be sought as quickly as possible.

Want to make a holiday injury compensation claim?
Most beach authorities warn tourists of jellyfish with signs, but some do not and so they could be found liable if you suffer harm from a severe jellyfish sting as a result.

Our no win, no fee solicitors could help you gain 100% compensation for your holiday injury claim. Call one of our team on 0800 10 757 95 today and see if YouClaim could help you win your case.