Stingrays are cartilaginous and flat-bodied fish with one or more spiny stingers located in the middle of the tail. Stingrays usually live in tropical and subtropical coastal marine waters, so encounters with humans can occur. Although not an aggressive fish, the stingray will use its sting to defend itself, if accidentally stepped on, and will release poison into the victim's wound. Fortunately, you can follow these simple examples of remedies if you encounter these unexpected situations.
Step
Part 1 of 3: Recognizing the Severity of Symptoms
Step 1. Stay calm
While a stingray can cause you worry and a lot of pain, the injury is rarely fatal. In fact, most deaths from stingrays are not caused by venom poisoning, but from internal organ injury (if stung in the chest or abdomen), heavy blood loss, allergic reactions, or secondary infections. If this kind of complication occurs, seek professional medical help immediately.
Step 2. Recognize your symptoms
Take a moment to identify what symptoms you are experiencing. Common symptoms include:
- Pain
- Swelling
- Bleeding
- Feeling weak
- Headache
- Muscle cramp
- Nausea/Vomiting/Diarrhea
- Dizziness/Feeling like fainting
- Palpitations (irregular heartbeat)
- Hard to breathe
- Faint
Step 3. Determine the severity of your symptoms
Medically, certain symptoms are more severe than others. Determine if you have an allergic reaction, suffer from excessive blood loss, or have venom poisoning. If these symptoms occur, you should seek medical help quick.
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Allergic reactions:
swelling of the tongue, lips, head, neck, or other parts of the body; shortness of breath, shortness of breath, or wheezing; red and/or itchy rash; fainting or loss of consciousness.
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Loss of blood:
Dizziness, fainting or loss of consciousness, sweating, increased heart rate, decreased blood pressure, short and rapid breathing.
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Poisoning can:
Headache, dizziness, fainting, palpitations, muscle cramps, convulsions.
Step 4. Find the right medical treatment/equipment
Based on the severity of your symptoms, find the most appropriate treatment/medical equipment for you. This includes finding first aid kits, going to a local medical clinic, or calling 118 for an ambulance.
If in doubt, ask a more experienced medical professional for help (for example, call 112)
Part 2 of 3: Caring for Wounds
Step 1. Flush the wound with sea water
While still in the water, rinse the wound with seawater, while removing all fragments and foreign matter from the wound area. Use tweezers from the first aid kit, if necessary. After flushing the wound area until it is completely clean and all foreign objects removed, get out of the water and dry the wound area with a clean towel. Be careful not to make your wound worse.
DO NOT remove fragments that pierce body parts such as the neck, chest, or abdomen.
Step 2. Control the bleeding that occurs
Bleeding is common after being stung. As always, the best way to stop the bleeding is to apply direct pressure to the source of the bleeding or to apply pressure to the area slightly above the bleeding source with one finger for a few minutes. The longer you press on it, the more likely the bleeding will subside.
If these aren't enough to control the bleeding, try using hydrogen peroxide together with pressing on the source of the bleeding to help stop it. Be careful, hydrogen peroxide can sting
Step 3. Soak the wound in hot water
You can combine this step with the previous step, which is direct pressure on the source of the bleeding, to control it. Soaking the wound in hot water helps reduce pain due to the denaturation of the protein complex in the venom. The recommended optimal temperature is 45°C, but make sure not to scald your skin. Soak the wound for 30-90 minutes, or until the pain subsides.
Step 4. Monitor the wound for infection
When treating a wound, you should keep the wound area clean by soaping and then rinsing with water. You should also keep the wound dry at all times. Do not cover the wound and apply an antibiotic ointment daily. Avoid creams, lotions, and ointments that don't contain antibiotics.
Over the next few days, pay attention to whether the area becomes red, sensitive, itchy, painful, or begins to swell or ooze a cloudy discharge. If that happens, go to your local medical care center or ER for immediate medical help. You may need antibiotics and/or draining the abscess
Part 3 of 3: Seeking Medical Treatment
Step 1. Look for first aid kits
Depending on where you are, a first aid kit should be easy to get. Ask someone to look for him while you begin to analyze your symptoms and treat the wound. The items in the first aid kit that are most useful for your situation include:
- Gauze/bandage
- Wound cleanser (hydrogen peroxide, alcohol wipes, soap)
- Tweezers
- Pain reliever
- Antibiotic ointment
- Medicinal plaster
Step 2. Find the nearest medical clinic, or ER
Asking a medical professional to evaluate and treat your wound is not a bad idea. Not only will you be treated by experienced medical personnel, but your chances of getting an infection or other complications are also reduced. Treatment instructions accompanied by instructions and recommendations will be provided to you based on the results of the assessment.
If the location of the nearest medical clinic is at least a 10-minute drive away, you should look for first aid kits and control the bleeding before heading there
Step 3. Call 112
This is your safety net. Call 112 if you experience the following situations:
- Cuts through the head, neck, chest, or abdomen.
- There are no first aid kits or nearby medical clinics.
- Experiencing symptoms of an allergic reaction, heavy blood loss, or poisoning can.
- History of previous medical conditions and/or use of medications that may affect wound healing.
- If you have doubts, confusion, dizziness, numbness, insecurity, fear, or whatever comes to your mind.
Tips
- Whenever swimming, especially in tropical waters, be careful. Stingrays, sharks and other dangerous marine animals can appear around you. Also, pay attention to those around you who may need help.
- Drag your feet as you walk into the water so that you bump into the stingray instead of stepping on it.
- Try to get as much poison out of the wound as possible without hurting yourself. This will help reduce pain.
- If the sand is hot, you can use it as a medium for soaking the wound. Make sure you clean the wound extra carefully afterward.
- Benadryl stops intense itching and swelling - take it as soon as possible. You can also split Aspirin in half and rub it on the wound.
- If the wound is itchy, DO NOT scratch or rub it. This will make the wound even more swollen.
Warning
- People with compromised immune systems such as diabetes or people with HIV/AIDS should seek prompt and aggressive medical treatment immediately.
- When in doubt, seek the nearest medical help or call 112.
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Call 112 or go to the nearest ER immediately if you experience any of the following symptoms:
- Stiffness in the chest
- Swelling of the face, lips, or mouth
- Hard to breathe
- Itching or skin rash that spreads
- Nauseous vomit
