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WidgetBucks - Trend Watch - WidgetBucks.com
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Up-close with Jellyfish
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Most divers hate
jellyfish. However sometimes meeting it is unavoidable and
you just have to be very careful when confronting these creatures. Most
jellyfish sting is not deadly except that of the box jellyfish. Jellyfish are
marine invertebrates. An adult body composes 94-98% water. It can be found in
every open sea of the world. The body of an adult jellyfish is made up of a
bell-shaped, jellylike substance enclosing its internal structure, from which
the creature's tentacles suspend. Each tentacle is covered with stinging cells
that can sting or kill other animals: most jellyfish use them to secure prey
or as a defence mechanism. Jellyfish exploits its nervous system and rhopalia
to perceive stimuli, such as light or odor, and orchestrate expedient responses.
Safety tips:
How to avoid jellyfish sting?
Being stung by jellyfish is a painful experience. It feels like being cut by a
sharp object. The skin will turn red with plenty of red spots. To prevent injury,
barrier clothing should be worn, i.e. full body wet suits. If the jellyfish is very
close and you cannot swim fast enough to escape it, you may use your spare regulator
to spray them away.
What should you do if you are stung by the jelly fish?
People stung by jellyfish must get out of the water immediately to avoid drowning.
This is because serious stings may cause anaphylaxis or even paralysis. In serious
cases, you should seek medical advice immediately.
For uncomplicated stings, pouring plenty of white vinegar on the wound is the
preferred method. If you do not have vinegar, you may leave baking soda or meat
tenderizer on the skin for 15 minutes, as that will neutralize any nematocysts.
However these substances should not be applied on the eyes. Therefore if the
stings are on or around the eyes place the solution on a tower and dab around
eyes. Salt water may also be used in case any of these compounds are not readily
available. Never rinse the sting site with fresh water, rub the wound, or use
alcohol, spirits, ammonia, or urine as that will only encourage the release of
venom.
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