How to Avoid & Treat a Stingray Sting

Stingray stings can be very painful but they are avoidable. Stingrays are bottom dwellers that are usually peaceful creatures and will swim away when bigger creatures come near. To stalk their prey, stingrays often bury themselves in the sand making it hard to see them. Most stingray stings occur when someone accidentally steps on the animal. Stingrays sting with the sharp barb found in a their tails that carries a protein-based venom. Venom enters through the wound, causing short-term but usually intense discomfort.

How to Avoid them

Shuffle your feet whenever you’re in shallow water to scare away any stingrays hiding in the area. By shuffling your feet you let the stingrays know that you are there and most likely they will swim away.

How to Treat a Sting from a Stingray

Unfortunately, despite your best efforts, you may still encounter a stingray and get stung. If you get stung, you need to seek immediate attention for your wound. It will feel like you step on some glass, then comes a good amount of pain from the venom. 

If you’ve been stung on your chest or abdomen, seek help immediately. Otherwise, if you can manage, pull the barb out while you’re still in salt water,  it’ll help clean the wound. If it’s bleeding, apply a little pressure on the wound, this will also help aid in flushing the venom out. 

Access how you’re feeling and the wound. If you’re exhibiting symptoms like tightness in the chest, swelling anywhere on the face, difficulty breathing, hives on your body and nausea — you’re having an allergic reaction and need immediate attention.

A Stingray’s venom is heat labile, meaning hot water not only makes the pain go away but destroys the venom. Lifeguards use really hot water to treat stingray injuries (110 degrees F). Just continually rotate hot water every 10 minutes or so to keep the temperature up. How long to stay soaking will be determined by removing your foot from the water; if it still hurts, put it back in. After about 90 minutes you should be feeling better. At that point, if you can manage, slather on a topical antibiotic and wrap your foot in clean gauze. It’s a good idea to keep an eye on your foot over the next few hours for any sign of infection (redness, prolonged swelling). If you do notice infection symptoms find a doctor; you likely need an antibiotic.