It has become a summer classic, almost as predictable as traffic jams: the jellyfish have resurfaced on the Mediterranean beaches. Several emblematic zones are affected by this massive arrival. In Marseille, the beaches of Frioul and the Anse des Catalans are affected, as is the Blue Coast, especially in Carry-le-Rouet and Ensuès-la-Redonne. In the Var, Saint-Raphaël and Pampelonne are also mentioned, while in the Alpes-Maritimes, Théoule-sur-Mer, Cap d’Antibes, Beaulieu-sur-Mer and Roquebrune-Cap-Martin are impacted. After Nice-Matinthe beaches between Cap d’Ail and Monaco, via Antibes and Nice, are also threatened.
How to recognize a jellyfish bite to the beach?
If their underwater dance may seem poetic, their contact with the skin is anything but pleasant. The jellyfish bite, caused by the stinging cells housed in their tentacles, triggers an almost immediate inflammatory reaction. Several signs make it possible to identify it without too much doubt as the sensation of intense burns, acute pain, tingling and itching as well as an extended red mark, often accompanied by vesicles comparable to nettle bites.
The pain, long lively, can persist for several hours. And if we do not react correctly, she can even get worse.
What gestures adopt immediately in the event of a jellyfish bit?
First reflex to forget: no, you should not urinate in the affected area. Dr. Gérald Kierzek confirms this without detour: “This in no way makes it possible to relieve pain related to the venom of the jellyfish. The idea behind this ‘seaside legend’ was to relieve the pain thanks to the heat of the urine, but that does not work. The toxin of venom is not thermolabile“.
Worse still, this practice would risk aggravating the situation: “It can burst the remaining cells of the tentacles, release the venom and accentuate the pain“, he specifies.
Here is the conduct to be held according to him:
- Rinse immediately with salt water, especially not in fresh water which would promote the release of venom;
- Apply sand to the affected area;
- Gratging gently using a blue card or flat object to remove the tentacle residues;
- Never touch with your fingers, otherwise you will contaminate more.
If the pain persists beyond 48 hours, a medical consultation is essential. In some rare cases, allergic reactions may occur, requiring rapid management.