Jellyfish stings are best treated with nice hot shower National Animals Health December 15, 2013 After being stung by a jellyfish, many of us will apply vinegar or maybe an ice pack. New research from the University of Sydney suggests those treatments might just make things worse. Hot water immersion in a shower or under a tap could be better. Despite jellyfish stings being a common problem, a summary of good quality research has not existed to guide effective treatment, said the senior author of the paper, associate professor Angela Webster. "Many treatments have been suggested to relieve the symptoms of jellyfish stings, however it was unclear which interventions were most effective," the university's associate professor Webster of the school of public health said. "Our research showed that immersing the sting in hot water was 50 per cent more effective than ice packs in relieving pain," she said. A hot shower following bluebottle stings is the best treatment for pain. Treating the sting with vinegar or Adolph's Meat Tenderiser, compared with hot water, actually made the skin appear worse. The research would allow organisations like Surf Life Saving to make evidence-based treatment recommendations, she said.