If you are stung by a jellyfish, there are several steps you can take to help alleviate the pain and discomfort. Here are some tips for treating a jellyfish sting:

• Rinse the affected area with vinegar for at least 30 seconds. Vinegar is safe and effective for all types of jellyfish stings and can rapidly halt the thousands of tiny unfired stinging cells left on the surface of the skin after tentacle contact.

• If vinegar is not available, the sting site can be washed with ocean water. Do not rinse with fresh water (like tap or bottled water) because that can make more stingers fire. Rinsing a sting with seawater may prevent stingers from releasing more venom.

• Protect the affected area and do not rub sand or apply any pressure to the area or scrape the sting site.

• Soak the area in hot water that is 107°F to 115°F (42°C to 45°C), not scalding, for 20 to 40 minutes. This can help alleviate pain and discomfort.

• After soaking in hot water, apply antihistamine or steroid creams such as cortisone cream to the affected area to help with pain and itching.

• Seek medical attention if the sting is severe or if you experience symptoms such as difficulty breathing, chest pain, or a rapid heartbeat.

It is important to note that some actions, such as scraping out stingers, rinsing with human urine, rinsing with cold, fresh water, applying meat tenderizer, applying alcohol, ethanol or ammonia, and rubbing with a towel, are unhelpful or unproved and should be avoided.