1. Get Out of the Water

4. Follow Up

For less severe stings:

Use ice packs or over-the-counter pain relievers or antihistamines for welts.

Clean open sores three times a day and apply antibiotic ointment. Bandage if needed.

For a severe reaction:

You may be in the hospital for several days.

You need antivenin (also called antivenom) for Australian box jellyfish stings. Get to an ER and get the antivenin as quickly as you can.

How to Treat a Sting on or Near Your Eyes

It’s OK to wash your eyes with seawater. But get to the ER as soon as you can. They’ll flush your eyes with saline and give you pain medications. The ER doctor will probably send you to an ophthalmologist, a doctor who specializes in eye care.

Do Home Remedies Work?

Not really. Most are unproven. You may hear about these, but don’t try them: