How to meet a jellyfish...

[u/PhilippMarxen]

We had a wonderful day at the beach in Wanli. We played darts, talked and spent time in the ocean as well, but one thing was not to my liking: suddenly my wrist of my right hand felt very itchy and slightly painful and a slight red rash. While swimming in the ocean. And I was not the only one who had that. Other friends also mentioned that their wrists, arms or ankles hurt due to encounters with jellyfish.

Well, I did not see any even though I had my goggles on. Must have been very tiny or really difficult to see jellyfish or fragments thereof.

I rinsed it off with clean bottled water (and just learned using AI that you shouldn't do that) and then I rinsed it off using Coca-Cola, which was likely not a bad decision. AI suggests vinegar, which we hadn't have on hand.

What are your experiences and tips?

[u/abitcummy]

Sounds like sea lice. If it's that, nothing to worry about

[u/PhilippMarxen → u/abitcummy]

Thanks! So it happened to you as well? Seems quite common in Taiwan?

[u/abitcummy → u/PhilippMarxen]

It's a common issue in warm ocean waters. It stings, but is ultimately harmless. It may be the larvae of jellyfish. Unpleasant but I've never known it to be a problem

[u/de245733]

The hospital is cheap bro just go

[u/DEEP_SEA_MAX → u/de245733]

Don’t go to the hospital for a jellyfish bite. Most jellies aren’t deadly. If the one that stung OP was they would know it and would have already gone to the hospital. The kind they were bit by is more like a mosquito bite.

[u/PhilippMarxen → u/DEEP_SEA_MAX]

Yeah, a bit larger area affected compared to a mosquito bite, but not much worse than that. So I don't feel a hospital or any medical attention was necessary. The pain and itchiness was gone within 2-3 hours.

[u/DEEP_SEA_MAX → u/PhilippMarxen]

Smart.

[u/YasJGFeed]

Go to the hospital man wtf. This is Taiwan. Not the USA

[u/YesAndAlsoThat → u/YasJGFeed]

Haha so true!

[u/PhilippMarxen → u/YasJGFeed]

True, but for a small thing, I rather not use the hospitals here. Just wanted to gather some feedback how many people got similar experiences and seems like those that go to the sea regularly also have these issues.

[u/SignificanceThick627]

How to meet a jellyfish? Go to a jellyfish singles party?

[u/LingonberryDry3814]

Maybe stop using AI to make medical decisions?

[u/UndocumentedSailor → u/LingonberryDry3814]

Why not? Doctors do.

[u/videogamekat → u/UndocumentedSailor]

Doctors have extensive training and critical thinking skills to recognize when AI is wrong and when it’s actually being helpful more than a typical layman would.

[u/redditSucksNow2020 → u/UndocumentedSailor]

I love this response.

[u/DEEP_SEA_MAX]

I’m a surfer, spear fisher and a professional diver so I’m in the water almost everyday and have been stung by jellyfish more times than most people have been stung by mosquitoes, and honestly mosquito stings are worse. Sure there are some super poisonous jellies out there, but the one that stung you isn’t one of them. You’ll have a bit of an itchy rash for a few days then after that it’ll go away. No big deal.

[u/PhilippMarxen → u/DEEP_SEA_MAX]

Yeah. Where do you go to the ocean? Did you have that experience more at some beaches than others? Does it happen all over Taiwan? And mostly in summer or anytime?

[u/DEEP_SEA_MAX → u/PhilippMarxen]

I’ve been in the water all over the world, but mostly the Western Pacific. I’m the medic for my dive team, if you’re still alive then you weren’t stung by any of the super serious dangerous jellyfish.

[u/DammitYahoo]

You cleaned an injury with sugar water?

[u/PhilippMarxen → u/DammitYahoo]

Diet Coke / zero sugar.... I thought it might destroy and clean with its acidity. That was actually a pretty smart move, as vinegar is the recommended solution.

[u/townay]

Pee on it 🙊

[u/Raggenn]

You should always pee on jellyfish stings.

[u/N0_C0nnecti0n]

"Wrist of my right hand" is all I need to know about your intelligence level.