Treat a Sea Urchin Sting

Have you ever been on a dive where you accidentally placed your hand on a sea urchin? Have you ever been surfing and struck a sea urchin during low tide while paddling or kicked one with your foot as you swam to your board? Well, here are some good ideas on how to treat a sting given by a sea urchin.

Steps

 * 1)   Remove the spines that you received from the urchin if possible.  It will hurt, but it is necessary in order for it to start the healing process.  It is imperative that you take them out fast in order to reduce the pain and get most of the spine out.
 * 2)   Cover the affected area with vinegar once you get out of the water.  Soak a lint-free towel in vinegar and hold it on there as long as possible.
 * 3)   Soak it in hot water as hot as you can tolerate for about twenty to forty minutes .  It will ease the pain if it doesn't stop it completely and help to relieve soreness on the following day.  Put vinegar on it again.
 * 4)   When you go to bed, wrap the area that was stung with a lint-free towel, soaked in vinegar.  Wrap the towel in plastic wrap and tape it so it stays on through the night.
 * 5)  Only 10 or less sea urchins are poisonous but there are a few deadly ones.
 * 6) Good advice; but, being from Hawai'i where stepping on sea urchins ('wana) is common, I've found that a quick soak in undiluted white vinegar will do the trick quickly - no need to muck about with towels and the like unless the spines are in an area that make soaking problematic. Simply pour some vinegar into a suitable container and place the affected foot/hand/elbow/body part in the vinegar for as long as you can - I've actually watched spines "dissolve" as a foot soaked in vinegar from obvious spine, to black pinpoint discoloration, to nothing.  A good wash with some anti-bacterial soap and/or an application of antibiotic cream or ointment to the area after soaking is a good idea as well.  As always, keep an eye on the site of injury for a few days after the incident to make sure no infection sets in.

Tips

 * You will not get the entire spine out, no matter how much you try. Do not dig into the skin with a pin or any type of needle.  You can continue your dive because it will not need treatment immediately.
 * The sting will hurt, but in the majority of cases, it is not necessary to seek medical attention! In some cases you may not even be able to bend your joint, if you were stung in that area.  However, if you feel as though it is necessary, then do seek medical attention.
 * Sea urchins inject a small amount of venom when stinging, but the amount is negligible to cause any serious injury if you are only stung by one urchin.
 * The more you keep vinegar on the area that was stung the better off you will be.
 * The best thing to do is to pee on the wounded area. Some people think it works better than vinegar, if it works at all.
 * The spines in your skin will dissolve on their own. Do not dig deep at them to get them out.
 * The spines are mostly calcium so a supplement of Vitamin D will help the body absorb the spines faster.
 * You may experience dark discoloration immediately after the sting from the dissolving spine which should return to normal as your body absorbs the urchin.
 * A razor blade is better than a pin. Just slightly cut the skin in the direction of the spine. Most of the spine near the surface can be removed this way, don't cut deep! Then soak in vinegar or hot water being careful not to burn yourself.

Warnings

 * Seek medical attention if the area becomes infected.
 * if you have any type of reaction such as increase in heart rate, problems breathing and swelling seek medical attention.

Related Tips and Steps

 * How to Take the Sting out of a Burn
 * How to Treat a Burn
 * How to Treat Swelling
 * How to Treat a Sunburn
 * How to Treat a Wound
 * How to Cure Insect Stings