The best bluebottle sting treatment is simple: rinse the area with seawater, pick off any tentacles, then put the stung area in hot water for about 20 minutes. Don’t use vinegar and don’t rub the sting. Most bluebottle stings are very painful but settle without medical treatment, though some need urgent help.
Here is the step-by-step first aid recommended by Australian authorities, the myths worth ignoring, and when to call for help. For anything beyond first aid, our pharmacists can advise on pharmacy care and services in store at Pacific Fair.
What is a bluebottle, and why do they wash up on Gold Coast beaches?
The bluebottle (Physalia) is a floating marine stinger with a gas-filled blue float and long tentacles. It can’t swim. Instead, its float acts like a sail, so it goes wherever the wind pushes it.
That’s why bluebottles turn up in numbers when strong onshore winds blow, pushing them in towards the beach. Along the Gold Coast, this often happens on summer days with a stiff breeze coming off the ocean. Surf Life Saving Queensland notes that bluebottles are found right around Australia. Even once they’ve washed up on the sand, bluebottles can still sting. Keep kids from picking up the “blue balloons” on the tideline.
How to lower your chances of being stung
- Swim at patrolled beaches, between the red and yellow flags, and check for lifeguard warning signs.
- On days when lifeguards report bluebottles, consider a stinger suit or rash vest and long boardshorts.
- Look before you walk along the waterline, especially after a windy night.
Bluebottle sting treatment: step by step
These steps follow the Australian and New Zealand Committee on Resuscitation (ANZCOR) guideline used by the Australian Resuscitation Council, along with advice from healthdirect and Surf Life Saving Queensland.
- Get out of the water and stay calm. Keep the person at rest and watch them closely. If lifeguards or lifesavers are nearby, let them know. They treat stings regularly.
- Don’t rub the area. Don’t let anyone rub the sting with sand, a towel or their hand.
- Pick off any tentacles. ANZCOR notes this isn’t dangerous for the person helping. You can use your fingers or wash them off with seawater.
- Rinse well with seawater, not fresh water. This helps wash away stinging cells you can’t see.
- Put the stung area in hot water. Use water as hot as the person can comfortably tolerate without burning. Healthdirect suggests around 45°C for 20 minutes, while the ANZCOR guideline says 43–45°C for up to 30 minutes. A hot shower works if you can’t immerse the area. Always test the water yourself first, especially for children.
- If hot water isn’t available or doesn’t help, apply a cold pack or ice in a dry plastic bag.
Healthdirect describes bluebottle sting pain as intense and lasting an hour or more, with a red line where the tentacles touched that can stay for a day or more.
Bluebottle stings: myth vs fact
| Myth | Fact |
|---|---|
| Vinegar helps a bluebottle sting. | Don’t use vinegar on bluebottle stings. Healthdirect says it may increase the pain. Vinegar is used for some tropical jellyfish stings, which is a different situation (see below). |
| Weeing on a sting helps. | Urine is not part of any Australian first aid guideline for bluebottle stings. Stick to seawater and hot water. |
| Rinse it under the tap. | Use seawater to rinse, not fresh water. Fresh water isn’t recommended directly on the sting. Hot water immersion comes after the tentacles have been removed and the area rinsed. |
| Rub it with sand to get the tentacles off. | Don’t rub the area. Pick tentacles off and rinse with seawater instead. |
| Ice is best. | Hot water is the first choice. Healthdirect says hot water is better than ice packs for bluebottle sting pain. Use cold only if hot water isn’t available or doesn’t help. |
| Bluebottles on the sand are harmless. | Washed-up bluebottles can still sting. Don’t touch them. |
What about box jellyfish and Irukandji?
Tropical stingers such as the box jellyfish and Irukandji are far more dangerous and need different first aid. Healthdirect says box jellyfish are found in northern Australian waters, north of Bundaberg in Queensland. Surf Life Saving Queensland describes a similar range, north of Agnes Water. The Gold Coast is well south of these areas, so standard bluebottle first aid applies on our beaches.
If you’re heading north over the school holidays, know that tropical first aid is different. ANZCOR advises dousing the sting with vinegar for 30 seconds and calling 000. Irukandji symptoms can be delayed, so anyone stung in tropical waters needs to be watched and to get medical care. Healthdirect advises that if you’re stung by an unknown jellyfish in tropical waters, treat it as a box jellyfish sting and seek medical help straight away. Always follow the lifeguards’ advice at tropical beaches.
When to see a pharmacist or GP, or call 000
Call 000 for an ambulance if the person:
- has difficulty breathing, or signs of a serious allergic reaction such as swelling of the face, lips or tongue;
- collapses, becomes confused or unresponsive;
- has pain that keeps getting worse or spreads through the body;
- has a large sting area (ANZCOR says half a limb or more), or a sting on a sensitive area such as the eye;
- was stung in tropical waters and feels unwell.
If you’re not sure, call 000 anyway. For non-urgent advice, you can call the Poisons Information Centre on 13 11 26 or the healthdirect helpline on 1800 022 222.
See a GP if:
- the pain hasn’t settled after first aid;
- the skin blisters or looks infected, such as increasing redness, swelling or pus;
- you’re worried about someone who is very young, or who has a history of severe allergies.
Talk to your pharmacist about:
- pain relief after first aid. Options include paracetamol or ibuprofen, but ask which suits you and follow the label or your pharmacist’s advice;
- itch that lingers once the pain has settled, and which products may help ease it;
- putting together a beach first aid kit, with instant cold packs, zip-lock bags and a water bottle you can fill with seawater. If you can’t get to the shops, see how our delivery options work for first aid supplies.
Talk to our pharmacists at Pacific Fair
If a bluebottle sting is still painful or itchy after first aid, or you want to stock a beach first aid kit before summer, our pharmacists can help. Pop in, with no appointment needed. Find us on the ground floor of Pacific Fair Shopping Centre, Broadbeach, open 7 days (until 9pm Thursdays), or call (07) 5592 2099.
Written by the Priceline Pharmacy Pacific Fair team. Reviewed by Jason Markey (BPharmSci, MPharm), Pharmacist.
Sources
- Australian and New Zealand Committee on Resuscitation (ANZCOR) – Guideline 9.4.5 First aid management of marine envenomation
- healthdirect – Jellyfish stings
- Surf Life Saving Queensland – Marine stingers
- ABC News – Bluebottle jellyfish surge ashore in onshore winds
This article is general information only and isn’t a substitute for personal advice from your doctor or pharmacist. Always read the label and follow the directions for use. If symptoms persist or you’re worried, talk to your pharmacist or GP. In an emergency, call 000.