The most common sites of human envenomation are the legs and feet, which makes sense because the most common reason for envenomation is a swimmer unintentionally stepping on a stingray.
The envenomation is often limited to severe pain that is relieved when the area is submerged in hot water. However, complications such as infection, serious bleeding, or physical trauma can occur. Part of the spine can also remain embedded in the tissue and require medical intervention to remove it.
Death is extremely rare and results not from the venom but from the puncture wound itself if it is in the chest, abdomen, or neck. Death from serious infections like tetanus has also been reported. Treatment of stingray injuries starts with first aid. Because the puncture is often deep and considered dirty, there is high risk of infection. It's important to wash and disinfect the area immediately and obtain a tetanus vaccine or booster if needed.
The wound should be inspected for any retained spines. The standard treatment for the pain is hot water immersion. Medical evaluation and treatment in a hospital is necessary if there are any retained spines in the wound, if the puncture is deep, or if it involves the chest, abdomen, or neck.
The best way to prevent being stung by a stingray is to avoid stepping on it when in the ocean by shuffling through the sand rather than lifting your feet and walking normally commonly referred to as the "stingray shuffle".
This will warn a stingray of your approach, and it will likely swim away. A pole or stick can also be used ahead of your feet. Divers should be cautious and avoid swimming close to the sea floor. It is also important to know where stingrays are and never provoke them. Allow the salt water to clean the wound while applying pressure over it to both slow the bleeding and encourage the venom to come out. Expect the area to swell. Hot water kills stingray venom and may relieve the pain associated with the sting.
Reheat your water every 10 minutes to keep it continually hot, and soak the wound for 30 to 90 minutes, or as long as it takes for the pain to subside.
The hot water may also draw out venom, which resembles jelly. The following symptoms could be signs of a systemic reaction or respiratory distress and require immediate emergency medical care:. Some people have died as a result of stings in their chests and abdomens.
The site may be infected, and your doctor may prescribe antibiotics oral or intravenous to treat it. When a stingray whips its tail at you, one or more of its spines may pierce your skin. The sheath around each spine then breaks apart and releases venom into the wound and surrounding tissue. Stingrays most often sting people in their feet, ankles, and legs, but sometimes a sting may occur elsewhere on the body. To avoid a stingray sting, shuffle your feet in the sand as you wade through shallow water.
Another option is to throw shells or small rocks into the water ahead of you as you wade. If you do seek emergency medical care, your healthcare providers will closely inspect your wound. They will need to remove any debris left in the wound from the spines or the sheath. They may take X-rays of the sting site to determine whether all the debris has been cleared. According to Healthline , they only sting when they are disturbed, manhandled, or stepped on by unwary swimmers.
Even then, they try to float away before their victim can conduct any sort of retaliation. Making a racket of any kind will usually cause them to scurry off, but anything can happen. The steps are as follows: First, flush the wound with fresh water and if possible, soak the wound in water as hot as the person can tolerate.
Next, if the stinger or stingers are still present, carefully excise them with tweezers. When the stingers are out, scrub the wound with soap and more fresh water. If bleeding, apply pressure until it stops.
If not treated quickly enough, amputation might be necessary. But if the venom enters the abdomen or chest cavity, the resulting tissue death can be fatal because of the major organs located in the vicinity. If the spike enters the heart , as was reported to be the case in Steve Irwin's accident, the results are typically fatal.
While a stingray's venom can do serious damage, the most destructive part of the sting mechanism can actually be the barbs on the spine. The sharp tip of the sting enters a person pretty smoothly, but its exit is roughly equivalent to backing up over those "severe tire damage" blades. Remember that the points of the barbs are facing the stingray.
Even if venom weren't involved at all, pulling the spike out of a human's chest or abdomen could be enough to cause death from the massive tearing of tissue that results. Sign up for our Newsletter! Mobile Newsletter banner close. Mobile Newsletter chat close.
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