Fire coral

I recently returned from a sailing/diving trip to British Virgin Islands. I
hit my arm hard against fire coral while diving at Blonde Rock (was trying
to get a photo of a lobster).

The scar appears to be getting more red and swollen, and it now itches. The
accident was two weeks ago.

Does anyone have suggestions on how to treat it?

Will the scaring be permanent? It's a V-shaped scar on my forearm. Each
leg of the V is around 3 or 4 inches long.

-Brien

Brien Alkire wrote:
> I recently returned from a sailing/diving trip to British Virgin Islands. I
> hit my arm hard against fire coral while diving at Blonde Rock (was trying
> to get a photo of a lobster).
>
> The scar appears to be getting more red and swollen, and it now itches. The
> accident was two weeks ago.
>
> Does anyone have suggestions on how to treat it?
>
> Will the scaring be permanent? It's a V-shaped scar on my forearm. Each
> leg of the V is around 3 or 4 inches long.
>
> -Brien
>


Ouch! I was floating one lazy afternoon sans fins in Coz, drifted into
a down current and dragged a foot across one or two fronds. No worries
mate, it clears up - just don't sctach it.


--
jer
email reply - I am not a 'ten'

"Brien Alkire" wrote

>I recently returned from a sailing/diving trip to British Virgin Islands.
>I
> hit my arm hard against fire coral while diving at Blonde Rock (was trying
> to get a photo of a lobster). The scar appears to be getting more red and
> swollen, and it now itches. The accident was two weeks ago.
> Does anyone have suggestions on how to treat it?
>
> Will the scaring be permanent? It's a V-shaped scar on my forearm. Each
> leg of the V is around 3 or 4 inches long.

Fire coral injects a poison. The effects of contact and injection is highly
dependent on your body's reaction to that poison. Think of it as an
allergic reaction. Some people hardly notice they've been stung while
others can have a strong reaction. Since you're obviously not in the former
category and, it seems, are having a fairly strong reaction to the poison, I
suggest you contact a physician, preferably one that has a practice in an
area where stings from marine organisms are common. There may be drugs,
salves or something else that will lessen the irritation and long term
results.

In the future, prevention is better than treatment. Try to do a better job
of avoiding contact with coral and other marine life. Since you now know
you're vulnerable to at least one marine toxin, spend a few bucks on a
lycra, or similar dive skin to give you an extra barrier between your body
and things that sting.

Speaking of things that sting, not all of them are attached to the bottom.
Some jellyfish can deliver a much more potent sting than fire coral. Some,
for some people, can be fatal. Some shells, cone shells come to mind, can
deliver a fatal dose of toxin as can some fish and some marine reptiles.

Lee

These "welts" will clear completely after ten days or so.
Check with your pharmacist as to which cream to apply, maybe
ant-histamine, and one to soothe the skin temperature to stop itching.

Had one once. Now I know what to avoid!

All the best,

Seadeuce


Brien Alkire wrote:
> I recently returned from a sailing/diving trip to British Virgin
Islands. I
> hit my arm hard against fire coral while diving at Blonde Rock (was
trying
> to get a photo of a lobster).
>
> The scar appears to be getting more red and swollen, and it now
itches. The
> accident was two weeks ago.
>
> Does anyone have suggestions on how to treat it?
>
> Will the scaring be permanent? It's a V-shaped scar on my forearm.
Each
> leg of the V is around 3 or 4 inches long.
>
> -Brien

"Lee Bell" <leebell@ix.remove.netcom.com> wrote in message
news:tDlSd.7466$x53.3218@newsread3.news.atl.earthl ink.net...
> "Brien Alkire" wrote
>
> >I recently returned from a sailing/diving trip to British Virgin Islands.
> >I
> > hit my arm hard against fire coral while diving at Blonde Rock (was
trying
> > to get a photo of a lobster). The scar appears to be getting more red
and
> > swollen, and it now itches. The accident was two weeks ago.
> > Does anyone have suggestions on how to treat it?
> >
> > Will the scaring be permanent? It's a V-shaped scar on my forearm.
Each
> > leg of the V is around 3 or 4 inches long.
>
> Fire coral injects a poison.

They inject the venom by way of nematocysts, which are miniscule little
firing darts.

>The effects of contact and injection is highly
> dependent on your body's reaction to that poison. Think of it as an
> allergic reaction. Some people hardly notice they've been stung while
> others can have a strong reaction. Since you're obviously not in the
former
> category and, it seems, are having a fairly strong reaction to the poison,
I
> suggest you contact a physician, preferably one that has a practice in an
> area where stings from marine organisms are common. There may be drugs,
> salves or something else that will lessen the irritation and long term
> results.

At this point, it sounds like he probably has an infection. Steroid cream
treatment is not recommended for an infection. He should get himself to a
doctor and get antibiotic treatment if necessary. Heck, he should get
himself to a doctor anyway. It's nice for us that he thinks we are so
wonderful that we can diagnose . . .whether we are doctors or just playing
one on the internet.

>
> In the future, prevention is better than treatment. Try to do a better
job
> of avoiding contact with coral and other marine life. Since you now know
> you're vulnerable to at least one marine toxin, spend a few bucks on a
> lycra, or similar dive skin to give you an extra barrier between your body
> and things that sting.

Improving his buoyancy skills prior to continuing with his photography will
serve the reef, him and the rest of us much better.

> Speaking of things that sting, not all of them are attached to the bottom.
> Some jellyfish can deliver a much more potent sting than fire coral.
Some,
> for some people, can be fatal. Some shells, cone shells come to mind, can
> deliver a fatal dose of toxin as can some fish and some marine reptiles.

While one can unexpectedly come into contact with jellyfish and/or their
tentacles, contact with a coneshell would virtually have to be deliberate
and therefore, one deserves what one gets.

Brien Alkire Wrote:
> I recently returned from a sailing/diving trip to British Virgin
> Islands. I
> hit my arm hard against fire coral while diving at Blonde Rock (was
> trying
> to get a photo of a lobster).
>
> The scar appears to be getting more red and swollen, and it now
> itches. The
> accident was two weeks ago.
>
> Does anyone have suggestions on how to treat it?
>
> Will the scaring be permanent? It's a V-shaped scar on my forearm.
> Each
> leg of the V is around 3 or 4 inches long.
>
> -Brien

Ive had this too, ouch, try to get hold of an Aloe Vera plant and use
the gel out of the leaves on the scar twice, three times daily, it will
clear up in no time. To get the gel, cut about 1" off, cut it sideways
down the middle then scrape the inside gentley and repeatedly with the
knife onto a plate, keep it in the fridge, it will last for 24 hours
like that


--
Alison

Started scuba diving when I was 15 way back in 1975 became an instructor
when I was 18 followed by advanced instructor at 20. Moved to Qatar in
1980 took up freediving because of decompression worries with my job
flying. Started spearfishing in 1985
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alison's Profile: http://forums.deeperblue.net/member....fo&userid=2637
View this thread: http://forums.deeperblue.net/showthr...threadid=58725


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"chilly" <slarson@shaw.canada> wrote in message
news:3auSd.459153$Xk.303613@pd7tw3no...

> While one can unexpectedly come into contact with jellyfish and/or their
> tentacles, contact with a coneshell would virtually have to be deliberate
> and therefore, one deserves what one gets.

I was night diving Tobias, in the Red Sea, a few years ago and my buddy and
I came across a Spanish Dancer traveling along on the rocks. I knelt down in
the sand and took my shots of the rascal while he waited behind me. When I
was through he moved in and was taking his shots, while I waited and watched
from behind him. At some point during his shoot the sea stirred a bit and
the surge pushed him to his left....instinctively he put his left hand down
(we were in sand and rock) but there was a spiny anemone that got him before
his hand reached the rock, in natural reaction he pulled away from the
sting, at almost the precise moment the surge receded and pushed him to his
right to his right. Again by instinct he put his right hand down and
suffered a sting from a Lionfish (which most of us know love to hunt by our
dive lights). Before we made it to the surface he had passed out and I
brought him the rest of the way to the surface and started trying to
resuscitate him.

My point is that things like this can happen within a few seconds (as it did
that night) and I don't know if I would say he got what he deserved. It
could have been a coneshell, or a stonefish, or any other variety of
stationary dangerous animal. Sometimes despite the best intention you
git-bit anyway :^)

"Alison" <Alison.1ktwnb@forums.deeperblue.net> wrote in message
news:Alison.1ktwnb@forums.deeperblue.net...
>
> Brien Alkire Wrote:
>> I recently returned from a sailing/diving trip to British Virgin
>> Islands. I
>> hit my arm hard against fire coral while diving at Blonde Rock (was
>> trying
>> to get a photo of a lobster).
>>
>> The scar appears to be getting more red and swollen, and it now
>> itches. The
>> accident was two weeks ago.
>>
>> Does anyone have suggestions on how to treat it?
>>
>> Will the scaring be permanent? It's a V-shaped scar on my forearm.
>> Each
>> leg of the V is around 3 or 4 inches long.
>>
>> -Brien
>
> Ive had this too, ouch, try to get hold of an Aloe Vera plant and use
> the gel out of the leaves on the scar twice, three times daily, it will
> clear up in no time. To get the gel, cut about 1" off, cut it sideways
> down the middle then scrape the inside gentley and repeatedly with the
> knife onto a plate, keep it in the fridge, it will last for 24 hours
> like that

There are people, and Brien may be one, who's makeup includes both a
hypersensitivity as well as incidental allergic reaction. For these people a
persistent cutaneous reaction can last a very long time, sometimes months
and months, particularly in the case of a heavy discharge of nematocysts.
Often, at this point, a steroid regimen is imposed.

It is hard to say what precisely your condition is, but I would be a bit
more strident at this point than simply applying aloe. Two weeks after the
sting and your arm is still itching, becoming more red and swollen? I think
it may be time to see a doc and find out really if this is still a venom
reaction, if this is a resulting infection or if your body is now on the
long road to reacting to it's own defense mechanisms.

>> In the future, prevention is better than treatment. Try to do a better
>> job
>> of avoiding contact with coral and other marine life. Since you now know
>> you're vulnerable to at least one marine toxin, spend a few bucks on a
>> lycra, or similar dive skin to give you an extra barrier between your
>> body
>> and things that sting.
>
> Improving his buoyancy skills prior to continuing with his photography
> will
> serve the reef, him and the rest of us much better.

Hence the first part of the suggestion. The second part's there because
nobody's perfect and because not everything that can sting is on the bottom
or, for that matter, readily visible.

> While one can unexpectedly come into contact with jellyfish and/or their
> tentacles, contact with a coneshell would virtually have to be deliberate
> and therefore, one deserves what one gets.

Picking up a shell just to look at it or, perhaps to see if it's vacant and
available for collecting is a crime deserving of death?

Lee

Seadeuce <seadeuce@oceanfree.net> wrote:
>These "welts" will clear completely after ten days or so.
>Check with your pharmacist as to which cream to apply, maybe
>ant-histamine, and one to soothe the skin temperature to stop itching.

This is why medical information from online forums is a crapshoot at best.

It's been two weeks, he still has it, and I fear it may be too late to prevent
some scarring. But waiting 10 more days is definitely not the approach to take.
--
Jason O'Rourke www.jor.com