Pierced sea urchins should not be considered trivial because it can cause symptoms that are easy to severe. Therefore, it is important to understand the importance of giving the sea urchin the first time it is pricked to prevent more serious complications.
Sea urchins or known as sea urchins are usually easy to find in shallow water, especially in rocky areas and coral reefs. These animals are basically non-aggressive. Most people get stabbed by sea urchins because they accidentally step on or touch them while swimming or diving in the ocean.
Symptoms When Pierced by Sea Urchin
Sea urchins have 2 defense systems, namely spines that cover their bodies and pedicellariae which are small and delicate organs in sea urchin spines. Pedicellariae tend to be more dangerous because they can release toxins when attached to an object, as well as to your skin.
When pierced by a sea urchin, the spines on its body will break and stick into your skin. This condition is painful and easily infected if not treated immediately. Usually the area of the skin pierced by the sea urchin comes out bruised and swollen with a blue-black color.
In addition to feeling painful, being pricked by sea urchin spines can also trigger some obvious symptoms that must be treated, such as:
Great exhaustion
Weak and lethargic
Muscle pain (myalgia)
Paralysed
Shock
In severe cases, the above symptoms can lead to serious complications, such as respiratory failure and even death.
First Aid Steps When Pierced by a Sea Urchin
Here are the first aid methods that you must do when you are pricked by a sea urchin thorn:
Don't panic too much, because this will cause you to move more actively and risk accelerating the spread of toxins to other parts of the body.
Immediately pull over to land or a nearby boat calmly, then soak the affected area in warm water for 30-90 minutes to reduce pain.
Gently remove the sea urchin spines. If possible, use tweezers to facilitate the process of taking thorns stuck in the skin. If there is pedicellaria stuck to the skin, you can use a razor to gently scrape it off.
After successfully removing the thorn stuck in the skin, then you rinse the stung area with soap and clean water to keep the risk of infection away.
Not quite with the method above, it is recommended that you visit a doctor so that you get a prescription for the necessary medicines, such as ibuprofen or paracetamol to relieve pain, or hydrocortisone cream to relieve itching on the skin pierced by the sea urchin.
If the wound from a sea urchin stabs causes an infection, the doctor can prescribe an antibiotic that must be taken in full. This is necessary so that the bacteria are completely eliminated.
As a precaution, you may be recommended to wear swimming shoes while diving in the ocean or the most effective is not to dive at all in waters that contain lots of sea urchins.
The pain and symptoms of sea urchin stabs usually heal within 5 days. If the symptoms you experience do not go away, especially if they contain symptoms of infection or even cause serious complications, go to the doctor immediately for treatment.
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