Keep Safe When Swimming or Visiting the Ocean

The ocean, is a dilute suspension of bacteria, many of which are known pathogens to man. In short, should you break the skin while in the sea, you could develop an infection. Other problems one might encounter include:

1. Swimmer's ear is the result of an inflammation of the ear canal and possibly the ear drum. The treatment consists of antibiotic ear drops and, possibly, oral antibiotics if the ear canal is swollen shut. Pain could be treated with topical novocaine-like preparations or oral pain medications such as codeine. This condition is easily acquired in a swimming pool. When one immerses the head the risk of an ear infection increases some two to three times. To prevent swimmer's ear, some ear specialists recommend putting a few drops of alcohol in each ear when you come out of the pool or the sea.

2. Jellyfish should obviously be avoided; their sting is painful and can vary from a mildly painful linear streak to a near-fatal reaction. Avoiding these creatures can be difficult, though, because often they lie a few inches below the water and blend in with the water. If you are swimming in the sea without using a face mask, you might not detect them in time. The skin reaction - depending on the type of jellyfish - can vary from a simple painful itching red streak to a severe anaphylactic reaction wherein the patient may go into shock.

The substance the jellyfish injects is a mixture of protein and enzymes that goes into the upper layer of the skin when the tentacle of the jellyfish strikes your body. The pain from a jellyfish encounter has been postulated to possibly be the reaction to the jellyfish venom on the nerves in the skin. People who are quite sensitive to the jellyfish toxin may progress to hives, dizziness, weakness, fever, muscle cramps and recurrent reactions and even the formation of keloids as a long-term result of the encounter.

Ideally, one should try to identify the species of jellyfish and tailor therapy to that particular jellyfish. However, this is not too practical. For immediate first aid, either spray the skin with vinegar or put on a slurry mixture of baking soda and, in addition, try to prevent any tentacles on the skin from rupturing. The application of heat to the involved area has also been used as the toxins of the jellyfish are susceptible to inactivation by heat.

In cases of persistent reaction, indomethacin and ibuprofen have been used. The serious jellyfish stings are usually found in species indigenous to the South Pacific and the Indo-Pacific area.

3. Sea urchins are easy to recognize. They are black, round, spiny, lie in the sand, and may be found from the water's edge outward. I have found the best way to see them is to put on my face mask - the one you use when snorkeling or scuba diving - squat down, put your face in the water, and survey the bottom in front and to the side before proceeding. These spiny animals injure you by a puncture wound - on the sole of the foot or the heel - and by the injection of a mild toxin that may cause pain and a superficial infection.

The treatment is as you might expect - remove the spine, clean the wound with hot water and then use antibiotics if an infection results. This is not a ghastly wound, but any puncture wound of the foot has the potential to develop a deep infection, and, at the very least, it can make walking painful for a short time.

Most of these problems are preventable. If you know you are going to be walking in the sea, whether it be in shallow water or a tidal pool, take an old pair of canvas rubber-soled shoes and wear them while you are in the water. A lot people never encounter these problems, but there is always the chance if you are not on the alert.