Well after the sting was treated and all tentacles were removed, put an ice pack over the injured area for 20 minutes. Someone had suggested it was a Portuguese man o’ war, she says.Legge says the lifeguard didn’t know how to treat Maria, so they decided to take her to IWK immediately. It is one of two species in the genus Physalia, along with the Pacific man o' war (or Australian blue bottle), Physalia utriculus.
Do this 3 to 4 times a day for the next few days until the pain and swelling improve. Severe reactions require hospital treatment. The Portuguese Man of War (Physalia physalis) looks a lot like a jellyfish, but it is a different animal.
You may use ibuprofen for pain and swelling, unless another pain medicine was prescribed. The Portuguese man-of-war (also called a bluebottle) is a jellyfish-like marine animal found in tropical oceans and bays. The sea creature isn't native to Canadain waters and is pretty rare to see on the Atlantic coast. Subscribe to Halifax for all the latest and greatest stories. Put the affected area in hot saltwater for about 20 minutes.
Seven-year-old Maria was stung by a Portuguese man-of-war on Lawrencetown Beach on Aug. 9. The man-of-war sting is meant to paralyze small fish until they can be eaten. 7-year-old stung by Portuguese man o’ war on Lawrencetown Beach There is local pain, burning, swelling, and redness. The tentacles can grow to 165 feet long. She was taken to IWK for burn treatment. However, the creature is actually a colony of four different organisms, called polyps, that work together as one. The welts last from minutes to hours. Talk with your healthcare provider before using these medicines if you have chronic liver or kidney disease or if you have ever had a stomach ulcer or GI (gastrointestinal) bleeding. Hey you! Never put ice or an ice pack directly on the skin. Physalia is the only genus in the family Physaliidae. In rare cases, it can be life-threatening. Call your healthcare provider right away if any of these occur:The rash becomes more red, painful, warm, or drains fluid, or if open sores appearFever of 100.4°F (38ºC) or higher, or as directed by your healthcare provider If you find one washed up on the beach, don' touch it. To make an ice pack, put ice cubes in a plastic bag that seals at the top.
Then with a gloved hand try to remove the tentacles. The Portuguese man-of-war (also called a bluebottle) is a jellyfish-like marine animal found in tropical oceans and bays.
Also follow up if you have a rash that keeps coming back. Apply concentrated vinegar solution if available. They also took the man o’ war in a plastic bag.She says Maria started feeling nauseous and said the pain was travelling up her arm.“On the car ride out, she was actually feeling cold, suffering from shock, and she fell asleep,” Legge says.“It was really scary… She wasn’t doing very well at all.”When the family arrived to the hospital, Legge says doctors also weren’t sure what they were looking at but concluded it was probably a man-of war.Doctors monitored Maria’s heart rate and gave her a vinegar bath, which Legge says is extremely painful.After a few hours, Maria was sent home with some ibuprofen for pain, Legge says.“She’s doing much better today… It’s still swollen and tender to touch,” she says.Legge says luckily Maria isn’t scared of the beach now and is eager to get back in the water.However, Legge says she hopes residents take this as a warning to keep their eyes out and be careful when visiting a beach.Aaron MacNeil, a Dalhousie University professor of marine biology, says it’s possible, but not common, to see a Portuguese man-of-war in the Nova Scotia area.“This year is a particularly warm year in the North Atlantic, so we expect to see these tropical species more often,” MacNeil says.And he says if there was one man o’ war, there are likely more around.He says they often wash up and reach the shallow end.“Even though the animal might be dead, the tentacles themselves can still have these stingers in them,” MacNeil says.