When to Seek Medical Care

Seek immediate medical treatment if the person stung has:

• Difficulty breathing, difficulty swallowing, chest pain, or intense pain at the site of the sting.
  
  

• If the person has been stung in the mouth or placed tentacles in their mouth and are having voice changes, difficulty swallowing, or swelling of the tongue or lips.
  
  
• If the sting happened to someone who is very young or old.
  
  
• If the sting involves a large area of the body, the face, or genitals.
  
  
• If the patient continues to have itching, redness, pain, swelling of the skin (cellulitis) around the sting, see a doctor. The doctor may prescribe:
  
  
  • diphenhydramine (Benadryl) to help with the itching,
    
    
  • pain medication for pain, and/or
    
    
  • topical steroids or steroids by mouth to help with the swelling and itching.
    
    
  • The doctor may also prescribe antibiotics if the patient has cellulitis. Take all medications as directed and until they are gone.
    
    
• If it has been longer than 10 years since the patient's last tetanus shot.