Yellow or purple flags are posted on beaches as a warning that there are man-of-wars in the area, so keep an eye out for that if you hit up the beach this New Year's weekend. According to a study by the Straub Clinic & Hospital in Honolulu, urine might actually make man-of-war stings worse. Contrary to popular belief, urinating on a man-of-war sting will not ease the pain. A person experiencing shock or trouble breathing should seek immediate medical attention.ĭo not urinate on the area. The area can also be soaked in hot water to ease the pain. Pain from a Portuguese man-of-war sting generally lasts about 15 to 20 minutes. The venom of the Portuguese man-o’-war causes a nasty sting in humans and leaves angry. Armed with nematocysts like the tentacles of true sea jellies, those man-o’-war tentacles stun and kill small fish and other little prey. Experts say you should not use vinegar to wash the area, as this might cause more pain. Below it straggles the man-o’-war’s great tentacles, which in exceptional cases may reach 100 feet long or more. An ice pack can be used to reduce pain and inflammation. The area should then be washed with seawater. The pain from a man-of-war sting can last a couple of hours, depending on how much venom has gotten into a person.Ī person stung by a man-of-war should first have the tentacles removed with a stick or tweezers. The tentacles are filled with venom that serves to paralyze small fish and prey, but even tentacles that have become detached or the tentacles of a dead man-of-war can sting. Since the tentacles are so long, bathers are often stung when swimming hundreds of feet away from a man-of-war. The tentacles are attached to a gas-filled sac that allow them to float. While the man-of-war is not technically a jellyfish, it resembles one, with its bulbous shape and long tentacles. The fish usually make their way toward Florida's shorelines around November, carried by the wind. They have long tentacles that can reach 100 feet, and since they have no propulsion, the fish are at the whim of wherever the ocean takes them. But it is painful, much like a bee sting. The Portuguese man-of-war's sting isn't considered deadly, unless one is allergic. "Please consult your lifeguard on duty before deciding whether to enter the ocean today." "We are flying yellow and purple flags today for moderately hazardous bathing and jellyfish," says a Fort Lauderdale spokesperson. The blue bottle-looking jellyfish have reportedly stung about 200 swimmers in Fort Lauderdale in the past week alone, prompting lifeguards to put up purple flags to warn beachgoers. Hundreds of Portuguese man-of-wars have begun to be spotted along the beaches of Fort Lauderdale and the Palm Beaches.
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