Even a small or apparently minor injury from a sea urchin sting can be life-threatening, especially if the victim is allergic to the urchin's venom. Learn more about our commitment to Global Medical Knowledge. It remained tender for two days and then was fine. Sponges. The sting caused an infection, which paralysed him. Next, apply shaving cream to the wounded area and gently scrape it off with a razor to remove all traces of the venomous spines. By then I had to go to the hospital to have them removed. He says he felt fine until three weeks later, ⦠(He later told me that he knows, they both could win the Darwin award for that stunt.) I still have 5 spines deeply embedded and will go to a doctor in USA tomorrow for removal. He told me the third piece was sitting right on my Achilles tendon and he didn't want to cut any farther to remove the spine, in fear of accidentally damaging the tendon. The doc did not remove the spines and sent us home without antibiotics. As I was walking through water about 5 ft. deep I felt a pain that felt like I had stepped on glass and sliced my big toe open. The legacy of this great resource continues as the MSD Manual outside of North America. I couldn't get any of them out because they were all too deep. I had to go to an urgent care clinic, where the doctor removed each one by lancing and digging with sharp forceps. I stepped on a sea urchin over a week ago, and I had at least 10 spines in my foot. I think it was from the shorter spiked urchins in the top rock crevasses that I stepped on. I lost balance after handing them up and slid down off the rock. Learn what you can do to avoid ski injury and other common winter sports injury. I received a tetanus shot and a big antibiotic shot in my butt. I found the glasses and stood on a rock so that I could hand them up to the man on the pier. Don't be scared or freaked out because it made a big difference. CLR worked great for me! Then, clean the wound with soap and water and pat your skin dry. A stingray sting can be quite painful and may lead to severe symptoms. I accidentally stepped on a sea urchin by my both feet on the beach of the coastal town of Mombasa in Kenya, East Africa. A week later I returned home and had a second surgery. Here are five warning signs to watch for. Clinical effects. This could just be from toxins being released and may respond to something simple like ibuprofen. I was wading in on the beach at a small resort in the Philippines 2 days ago. Think a loved one may be experiencing hearing loss? Her snorkel mask filled with water and she became disoriented and her foot landed on a sea urchin. I got multiple sea urchin puncture wounds on the soles of both feet. I had full foot fins on and went on to snorkel for a while longer before heading home. From developing new therapies that treat and prevent disease to helping people in need, we are committed to improving health and well-being around the world. It's been two weeks and I am still getting headaches and occasional excessive sweating possibly from the medication. Many of my friends and I got large spikes in our foot, it is very painful so be aware. The sea urchin is an echinoderm. Pain went away quickly & I continued with my vacation w/o discomfort. I did not realize that spines were embedded in my heel until seven hours later. It was very painful, especially after my adrenalin wore off. I saw that her foot was full of spines. Stingrays have flat bodies with long, slender tails that... Seaweed such as algae and coelenterates are found worldwide in salt water and fresh water and can cause skin irritation. Now 2 days later there are still 4 of them in my toe but it only hurts if I try to remove them. I was sent home with painkillers and antibiotics and was told to wait it out until the spine eventually worked its way to the surface of the skin. I guess I'll let them stay unless they start to give me trouble. I soaked my foot in warm water and dealt with the pain. But if serious symptoms develop, such as severe pain, swelling or difficulty breathing, dial 999 for an ambulance. The Duke of York is claimed to have stayed on the now-infamous Little Saint James with a "tall, bleached blonde" woman who said she ⦠He alternated this with soaking the site in vinegar for about 15 min. Most sea urchin injuries result when spines break off in the skin and cause local tissue reactions. The red sea urchin is the biggest of the species and it will enter adulthood when it reaches 1.96 inches (5 cm) in diameter. I recently stepped on a sea urchin while walking on a beach. We disclaim all responsibility for the professional qualifications and licensing of, and services provided by, any physician or other health providers posting on or otherwise referred to on this Site and/or any Third Party Site. My follow up appt. . They broke so the 5 points remained inside my ankle. January 2015, I was snorkeling the rocks with my 8 year old son. Sea urchins are present worldwide. Four days later after seeing my primary care physician and getting antibiotics, the larger spines are still embedded are not getting any better. Sting severity is related to: ... Sea urchin. I believe it should say,"If the patient's last TETANUS shot was more than ten YEARS prior to the injury. Hot soaks may help relieve pain. I looked at my fin and there were also small holes in that from the urchin spines. They tell me that if there is no difference in my finger, I will be going for surgery. Mine was the same as swimming in Thailands except they missed 2. 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