The Pee Myth: Vinegar Only On Jellyfish Stings

 

Right now, there are a lot of very good people working to make everyone box jellyfish-safe and sting-free in South-East Asian seas.

Their number are small but they're a dedicated bunch committing themselves to surveilling, testing, researching, communicating, training, educating, treating and advancing the cause of effective box jellyfish prevention and sting treatment.

Through interconnected active networks from the beach to the bureaucrats, change is taking place with knowledge, strategies and actions progressively making a positive difference.

Their message to the public is simple:

Swim inside a prevention net if one's available.

Wear a full-length lycra stinger suit if outside a net.

Immediately and only use vinegar on a sting.

 

And then there is peeing.

Urinating on some poor victim's jellyfish sting is widely, and wrongly, considered an accepted treatment. It's not, okay?

And what's worse, if that's possible, whenever there's mention of a jellyfish sting, pee predictably bursts into the conversation. 

Most importantly, urine is not sterile and contains bacterias that will increase the already high chance that a jellyfish sting becomes infected. 

There's a certain element of uric acid in urine. Coca-Cola is highly acidic. So too is meat tenderiser. All dubious and dodgy treatments. But, you would need to apply A LOT, all at once, and not only risk death, but also risk humiliating, torturing, marinating, infecting and, if things get really out of hand, drowning the victim. 

So, in all seriousness, STOP! 

Stop it with the pee theory. 

While it's titillating for some, it's a fallacy. How about whenever the temptation arises to comment in a discussion or on social media with the pee (he-he, snicker-snicker) schtick, don't.

Instead, actually be constructive and either mention the scientifically and medically accepted use of vinegar or say nothing. 

One doesn't have to know all the answers but it helps in this instance if the answer is factual truth and not a myth.

Much of the behind the scenes hard work being done is being undone, comment after comment. 

Reports of box jellyfish stings continue to this day. People are getting hurt with some injuries being life threatening. 

There have been no reports of peeing on box jellyfish victims' stings.

Lowering the risk and saving lives is also continuing and if this important work is supported by accurate, factual, but not as funny to some, evidence-based conversations and commentary, we will all be better off.

Further Reading:

• Sting Treatment Facts  

 

Main image courtesy of Thaiger.