Actually I think I've read that swimming in salt water if good for healing wounds. The salt causes the woulds to seal up, and that means they can heal faster. I've personnaly found swimmin gin swimmingpools is good for cuts and bruises (I hear it's because the chlorine but I'm not sure). In short the answer is: I think its a good thing. Not 100% on that though.
Yes, it would be good. It would clean out the wound, help prevent infection, and speed up healing. It would also hurt like a bitch.
Agreed. Chlorine hurts, too... but that's off subject. So, go ahead and let her swim. Although if the cut is on a part of her anatomy that she would need to swim--i.e. hands, feet, it hurts horribly, so she may not be able to swim for long distances.
It's on her left arm, on the back side. and she won't be swimming long distances, but she will be swimming for a few minutes trying to get into the plane. Also, she's distracted from the cuts by the fact that she has to save someone's life.
Saline is salt water, and it is used in hospitals all the time. Sea water is a bit saltier, but not so much that it would be particularly painful. However, sea water contains more than just salt and water. There are bacteria, and algae, suspended silt and sand, all manner of impurities.some places are polluted to a lesser or greater degree. Red Tide is an algae that can be very dangerous, for example. Sea water may help clean thewound, or it could make it more septic.
Keep in mind that sharks can smell a drop of blood from a mile away. If it's bleeding, this is very dangerous.
Completely left of subject... I was taught growing up in Hawai'i that wounds obtained at the beach were never to be cleaned with iodine. I realise that iodine is no longer in the common medicine cabinette, but the thread just made me remember that bit of horse-sense and I'll shut up now. Bye! P.S. I also remember that jellyfish stings are to be peed on to relieve the pain.
My brother peed on my foot when we lived in California because I stepped on a jellyfish. It was the most disgusting thing ever and it really didn't work that well
um, urine, is essentially salty water with lots of nasty impurities, (its the leftovers after your kidneys has filtered, its the stuff you don't really want) Point is I don't think urinating on a jelly fish sting is going to help any more than climbing in the ocean. Which we know doesn't help jelly fish stings. Liquid meat tenderizer DOES work on jelly fish stings. Yes saltwater in and of itself could be good for a wound, no I would not chose to use the ocean as my saltwater source. Sharks, bacteria, pollutants, and a myriad potentially negative issues. If her injury is serious she needs to get medical attention, if its a relatively shallow wound the swim will not cause much issue and it "could" be mildly beneficial.
Urine on a jellyfish sting appears to be a myth, and nothing more. Vinegar apparently can help deactivate the stinging cells. http://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=2283933 The "urine cure" has made it into popular culture, probably most notably in the TV show Friends, but I don't think there is any validity to it.
Technically urine should work. The sting is an alkali, and thus the acidity in vinegar neutralises it. The urea in urine (as an ammonium compound) has an acidic pH as well, and thus that should chemically neutralise the sting as well.
Urine typically has a pH of around 6. Vinegar is usually around pH 2.4, which is around 4000 times more acidic.
Adrenaline during such an event will probably control any pain, and a cut in that part of the arm is unlikely to hit any major blood sources. So, I guess the nice thing about your scenario is you can make it turn out just about any way you want. The blood attracts sharks. The cut begins to sting AFTER the adrenaline rush where's off from saving somebody. The cut is cleansed by the salt water. The cut becomes infected by the ocean water. The friend she saves pisses on her wound...have fun. The world is your writing-oyster!
Well I didn't say it would be as effective, but it would be better than nothing. And how many people walk along beaches with vinegar in their pockets? Lol. Sounds like as good a reason for drinking as any
According to the article I pointed to, many Australian beaches have vinegar stations spread out at regular intervals. The acidity needs to be high enough to deactivate the stinging cells. Above a certain pH, urine would probably have no effect at all other than acute embarassent. The quantity of beer may matter more if the afflicted person uses it to generate his own urine.
Common also on the beaches of Hawai'i. But they didn't use vinegar, they used amonia with meat tenderizer in it. Go figure....
I think I'm testimony enough to the fact that urine doesn't work well enough for those darn things! It burned so bad I couldn't stand it and the urine didn't do nearly enough to counter the fact that my brother peed on my foot I'll try vinegar next time...although, I'm hoping there won't BE a next time!
