In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
I think I would be a bit wary of all "wise-woman" remedies and go for 1% hydrocortisone cream, possibly using the Italian one with local anaesthetic, using for no more than 2 days and not more than twice daily.
In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
The suggestion of diluted [I]ammoniaca[/I] seems not to be an old wives tale. It's recommended on several fairly serious jellyfish sting websites, as an alternative to the almost universally approved suggestion of vinegar (another possible substitute for vinegar which might be easily available could be pure lemon juice).
What these substances do, if washed over your skin around the sting site, is to deactivate any parts of the sting that are still there but have not yet stung you. They won't make you feel any better, but they could stop the sting getting even worse.
In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
This may go on record along with J&Cs lighted fag applied close to bites (didnt work for me), but I have a feeble memory of urine being used for jelly fish stings?, probably another old wives tale.
A
In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
Here is some useful information on what to do:
[url=http://www.elenas-vieques.com/jellyfish.html]Jellyfish stings and remedies[/url]
Australian lifesavers always have white vinegar to treat jelly fish stings and it works.
Some jelly fish species are now coming to the Atlantic beaches in the north of Spain. They used to be confined to the Mediterranean. Another sign of the warming of the planet, perhaps.
In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
[quote=Angie and Robert;92770] but I have a feeble memory of urine being used for jelly fish stings?,
A[/quote]
Definitely works for sea urchin stings - don't know about jelly fish. Perhaps it's like the acid on wasp stings, alkali on bee stings or is it the other way around? Can never remember!
In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
We noticed a lot of jellyfish too in Sicily. The gorgeous (swoon) lifeguard told us to use ammoniaca when we got stung, or vinegar as an alternative. The sting was painful for a few minutes, then faded.
My mum said VW (vinegar for wasps) and alkaline for bee stings. I think she mentioned baking powder as an alternative.
My Roman colleague also had some interesting old wives tales: with any sort of sting, put a hot stone over it. Maybe the burn is more painful than the sting, but possibly the heat makes the blood rise to the surface of the sting. She also swore by toothpaste for stings. Perhaps it's the bicarbonate in the toothpaste which is helpful.
My Calabrian colleague's auntie's remedy for sprains is to immerse the part of the body (e.g. the foot) in a bath of as hot as you can possibly stand water, along with some salt. Apparently it works!
In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
Or get your best mate to pee on it........it really works
In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
[quote=deborahandricky;92785]Or get your best mate to pee on it........it really works[/quote]
You're right! My father once told me that in his small village some peasants used to pee on wounds.
RosieA, I've recently come back from a weekend in Santa Maria di Ricadi (Capo Vaticano) and the sea was marvellous! White sands and crystal clear waters; all you could see were the fish! No jelly fish to be seen! :smile: They should call it the Italian Caribbean!
However, I've seen jellyfish from the Ionian sea, starting from Bagnara, all the way round up to the Tyrrhenian sea up to Marina di San Lorenzo (if you are familiar with that area). Haven't been as far as Roccella so don't know what the situation is like there if anyone is interested.
I've seen that chemist's sell Medusafe: suntan lotion which protects you from stings!
[url=http://www.sauber.it/flex/cm/pages/ServeBLOB.php/L/EN/IDPagina/80/UT/systemPrint]Sauber - Body & Sun - Medusafe line[/url]
In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
a few years back my eldest son got stung by a jellyfish in Capri. I rushed to a local stall holder (sellling inflatables etc) and asked where the nearest farmacia was, because my son had been stung. Her response was put lemon or tomato on it - I had neither so she quickly produced a lemon and the sting never got the chance to get out of hand
In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
Don't want to keep going on about this.... but read this! Argh!!!
[url=http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/7/29/1397/20948/travel/Global+Beach+Panic:+Jellyfish+Will+Kill+Us+All]Global Beach Panic: Jellyfish Will Kill Us All! || Jaunted[/url]!:eeeek:
[quote=tinacara;92748]This year I've been particularly surprised by the high numbers of jelly fish hitting Calabrian shores. Haven't been stung but does anyone know what the best treatment is just in case?? An old Calabrese wives' tale is to rub an onion on the area which has been stung or to put diluted "ammoniaca" on the area. Will any of this work?? Don't fancy the thought of going to the beach with an onion every day!:veryconfused:[/quote]
They were just talking about this on telly this morning. Apparently the most effective cure is antihistamines and/or cortisone, if the reaction is severe. But "ammoniaco" was also mentioned. By the way, which coast have you sighted them off: north or south?