Requirements for Bluebottle Stings

Bluebottle stings can be very unpleasant, and today I wanted to take a look into the best bluebottle sting treatment routes. Continue reading below to find out.

What are the requirements for bluebottle sting treatment?

Short answer: you can treat bluebottle stings by yourself if needed, but it is best to at least have somebody with you to help if possible.

• If any further issues develop, you are allergic, or your symptoms do not heal you must seek immediate medical attention.
• Follow the bluebottle sting treatment steps below. Get seated, wash your sting and then follow the main remedy below.
• Perform a hot water dunk. You can manage symptoms later on with strategies like painkillers, hydrocortisone cream or cold packs.
• Monitor carefully. Get medical attention if symptoms don’t improve or the situation worsens.

Can I administer self-care to bluebottle stings?

In some circumstances, if the sting is not critical and you are capable of self assistance you may be able to administer bluebottle sting treatment yourself.

 However, if you are unable (or either way) it is best to have somebody with you to help you or to at least be present if you have any issues.

• It is NOT advised to use self-care if you have been stung on the neck or face (including eyes). Call for help in this instance.

As following are your bluebottle sting treatment steps:

1. Comfortably get seated somewhere, ideally with someone to help.

• Try to treat the sting immediately.
• Stay calm - and try to avoid walking around or moving too much.

The reason for this is if you have been stung in a location such as the leg and you move around, the venom may disperse more throughout the area. This will cause further discomfort.

• Try to have somebody with you to help with the treatment, then find a place to get seated and ready to treat.

2.  Cleanse the sting area with seawater: and do NOT itch or rub on it.

• It may be tempting to do so, but do not go rubbing or itching.
• Simply carefully cleanse it using clean water. You can use seawater. This is actually preferable, as it will prevent future stinging of any leftover stinging cell over regular water.
• Remove any tentacles left if there are. They may continue to sting you without being visible.

Note: Do NOT use vinegar for bluebottle sting treatment.

3. Hot water immersion - for 20 minutes

One of the most effective potential remedies for bluebottle sting treatment is a hot water dunk.

• Set the water temperature as hot as you can stand. But do NOT use water that is too hot as it may worsen the injury. 42 degrees celsius (107 fahrenheit) is a good temperature.
• Immerse your sting in the water for about 20 minutes.

The water will help deactivate and kill any venom proteins within the skin, which will hence treat it and likely reduce overall discomfort largely.

 This has been previously supported by research as a bluebottle sting treatment.

 * Alternatively: you may use an icepack if this is not possible (detailed below) or alongside it.

4. Use an ice pack or cold compress of some sort.

• This can be done in the case of hot water being impossible to access at the time. Try to go with the above method if possible for the starting treatment.

Note: If doing both, don’t use the pack immediately after the hot water - let it do the work first.

• You can use wrapped ice/ice packs for pain management too, as healing happens.

5. Painkillers

If the pain is intense, you can take either a natural or over the counter medication pain killer.

However, do not rely on painkillers. Pain should improve after 1-2 hours.

 If your pain is not going away, you must consult a medical professional.

What are the things I will need for the treatment?

For your bluebottle sting treatment, you will need:

• A person to help you: IF possible
• Some clean water, to wash the sting
• Some hot water: for your hot water immersion.
• A cold pack (optional) - but use this if you don’t have hot water as above. It can also be used for treatment to reduce pain afterwards.
• Painkillers (optional management afterwards).

What is the remedy for a bluebottle sting?

As we covered briefly above - one of the main research backed remedies for bluebottle sting treatment is a hot water bath/immersion.

 This involves running or submerging hot water on the area for 20 minutes to help the sting heal and remove venom.

• Other than the bluebottle sting treatment remedies described, there is no one set remedy. Hot water dunking is one of the most effective.
• If you’re at the beach, you can use the hot beach side shower for this.
• In the case of an emergency the best route will be to seek medical help.

Normal symptoms of a bluebottle sting:

These are some of the key signs to identify that you have been stung by a bluebottle.

• Pain that may be intense or burning, which will usually resolve after about an hour-2 at most. Make sure to seek help if it doesn’t start reducing.
• Blisters (sometimes they may scar, but these should fade within days-weeks.)
• Swelling, or reddish lines upon the skin in the sting area.
• Itchiness, but this should not persist for very long.

When do I need to seek medical help?

Stings are more risky in younger children, elderly individuals and importantly people who are allergic.

You will need to seek medical attention if:

• You have been stung in a large area: OR, across the neck/throat or face. Ring an ambulance in this case.
• The symptoms do not diminish after a while, or they keep worsening and the area is itchy/blistering.
• The pain is unrelieved by the heat treatment.
• You are allergic to bluebottles. Administer an EpiPen IMMEDIATELY and call for help. Watch very carefully for any signs of anaphylaxis.
• You are alone and unfit to perform self-administration of bluebottle sting treatment.

There are other home remedies you can also try.

 Note: as mentioned, these are mainly for management not treatment.

• Using an ice pack or cold compress

You can also use cold water. You can repeat this as needed to ease your pain until the sting heals.

• Painkillers, as needed
• Hydrocortisone cream

If you have a very itchy and swollen sting, you may be able to hit a chemist and get some cream prescribed.

You can apply hydrocortisone cream topically to reduce inflammation if it isn’t going away.

How can I protect myself from bluebottle stings?

• Be careful swimming. AVOID areas that have warning signs/state jellyfish are present.

Take careful care when swimming. On the beach, there will often be signs if jellyfish are present.


If you see any signs, don’t swim in the water.


When in the water, just be aware of your surroundings in case you notice any jellyfish.


When walking, be very careful to avoid bluebottles lying on the beach - even if they are dead.

• Never touch any jellyfish or bluebottles, even if they are on the beach.

Do not ever touch a bluebottle in either the ocean or on the beach, even if it seems dead.

Venom may still be injected by the stinging cells.

• Consider a full body swimming suit - alongside waterproof foot protection.

A nice full body swimsuit can be really helpful to prevent future stings.

• Try to find one that covers a lot of the body.
• You can also invest in some footwear that covers your feet, so you don’t have to worry too much when walking or surfing.

Related Questions:

Is there anybody who can help me with my sting on the beach/when alone?

 Yes! If you are on the beach or near a lifeguard, they will be able to administer first aid for you. If things get bad, do not delay. Ring 000 for an ambulance.

What if I’m allergic?

If you know you have a bluebottle allergy, you are at risk of going into anaphylactic shock. You must IMMEDIATELY seek help. Ring an ambulance and administer an EpiPen. If you have experienced anaphylaxis before, your risk is even higher. Watch out for:

• Breathing difficulty, panting/short breath or tightness in the chest
• Dizziness or weakness
• Loss of consciousness/fainting
• Intense sharp pain that doesn’t go away in the sting area
• Running nose, sneezing or coughing
• Fast pulse

To conclude,

 Bluebottle stings are one of the most common types of stings that can occur when swimming or on the beach. They can be quite painful and unpleasant, but are not usually serious.

 If you get stung, don’t panic. Follow the bluebottle treatment steps - and make sure to seek medical attention if you don’t improve, or are stung on the neck/face.

 You can prevent the odds of a sting by carefully following prevention steps.

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