Fire Coral Sting???

[jayray007]

Hey guys,
I just got back from a 2 week diving trip to Belize, and then Roatan....but...
in Roatan, on the way up from diving the "Aguila" ship wreck she grabbed the mooring line on her ascent (w/o gloves) and got stung pretty badly.

She was in pain for a couple of days, but then the pain/itching/visible signs went away...

We got back to Florida on Sunday (28th), and all has been well since we got back (other than the fact that we aren't diving 3-4 times per day).

But, this morning she woke up with her hand itching again. By about 10am this morning her hand was itching and swollen. She has tried to clean it with peroxide and she has "dipped" it in vinegar, and she has soaked it in salt water, and it is still swelling.

I'm not sure if this is some sort of infection from the fire coral, or if it is something totally unrelated. But we are getting worried about it. We hate going to the local MD just for them to prescribe the latest and greatest drug. We are more the good health/natural remedy type of people, but we're at a loss....

Any suggestions???

Thanks guys...

jayray007

[Fin Mike]

Call the Divers Alert Network (DAN). DAN is the medical reference for divers and all the related ills that are associated with this obsession. They will have the answers you seek. www.diversalertnetwork.org/

[billsreef]

Fire coral generally can't penetrate the tough palm of a hand. It's more likely something else. Fireworms would be one possibility. While you might not want to go the the doctor, considering this is still a problem several days later, it would be wise to go the doctor.

[philter4]

I agree with Bill, fire coral usually only causes pain and itching for a few hours, not normally days unless the person is sensative or allergic. The fact that the pain and itching and other symptoms went away and now are back tells me there is something wrong and why not be safe, see a doctor, it can only help. If possible like Fin Mike says, look for a DAN doctor in your area.

[Letmegrow]

I respectfully disagree. (With a slight twist)

I have been hit with fire coral in the aquarium on my fingers, knuckles, forearm, palm, wrist, elbow. Yes it IS fire coral and not something else.

It hurts for a little bit, gets welts, sometimes a blister, then goes away.

However, sometimes, a few days later the welts comeback, and will itch like mad. It doesn't hurt at all, just irritating like all get out. It will also feel hard and callused like a wart almost.

This also happens with bristleworms. Get nailed and a few days later the itching and irritation comes back.

[chrisstie]

I don't know if this helps much but I had an incident with a sting of some kind in my aquarium. I'm not sure if it was an adverse reaction to a particular coral or irritation due to a sharp surface combined with the gooey protective slime some corals have, however after getting hurt I started a long road of problems. since then I have developed eczema. It had not presented before then but before I knew it was eczema it was all over the hand that was hurt and it had gotten infected.

The best thing that gave me relief was to put triple bac ointment on it twice a day. While you should seek medical care AND a second opionion if a GP can't figure out whats wrong - I actually recommend a dermatologist if you still aren't able to heal it after a few weeks.

I understand being natural and healthful but when a medical expert could take 5 seconds to look at her hand and help you with it it is worth the trouble of fighting skin infections for months before finding out how to help it. Thats what ended up happening to me. Took me 6 months to find out it was eczema, AND infected. Once I knew what it was and why I could treat it.

I hope for a quick and painless recovery!

[snorvich]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14069067#post14069067 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by billsreef
Fire coral generally can't penetrate the tough palm of a hand. It's more likely something else. Fireworms would be one possibility. While you might not want to go the the doctor, considering this is still a problem several days later, it would be wise to go the doctor.

I agree. I once got stung and it persisted for a few months with periodic reinflammation. Talking to DAN is good advice as many doctors are less familiar with this type of injury.

[maxima k2]

I had the same kind of issue in the Dry Tortugas. I was touching the mooring line on my ascent(bit of current that day). I had gloves on and didn't think any thing about it. I surfaced and got on the deck, pulled my mask off and wiped the water off my face with the my gloved hands. Big mistake! I believe that the line was covered in hydriods, which I then wiped on my face. Smearing the nematocysts on some delicate skin- my eyelids. To make things worse I jumped in the fresh water shower on the back deck. This make the nematocysts "sting" even more. I felt nothing at the time, but the next day my eyelids were swollen and blistering. Not good! I called DAN 2 days later when we got in cell phone range. They said to take some antihistamine. That didn't work, so I saw a doctor and told them this story. The doctor gave me a bunch of steroids and it cleared up in a couple of days. But to this day my eyelids are not the same, very sensitive to dust and they still itch once in a while. It sucks.

[Grunt]

Most likely a hydriod of some sort. They will grow on lines, and can pack a punch. I'd got into them before and it isn't fun. Growing up in FL I always dived with just my board shorts. (Still do). You have to watch things that move in the currents. I had to teach my wife what can and can't be handled/touched. Recognizing what hydriods look like helped alot. Here in Missouri diving is cold, my full 5mm isn't enough for me, I'm a warm water diver and there's nothing to sting us here :P

[scottallert]

i skin dive all the time
the worst sting is the brown branching thing with while silverish hairs that stick out like a palm tree branch.

[Sloeber]

Doubtful a Fire Coral was growing on a mooring line. More than likely it was a hydroid, possibly a Fire Worm as well.

[billsreef]

Henry,

It's not common, but I've actually seen it growing on some older moorings :eek1: Otherwise, yes hydroids abound on mooring lines, even the new ones. I'd fear the hydroids more, they pack a nasty wallop :D