Did I get a fire coral sting?

[BTravlin]

hydroid, like they all said. on a side note, if it was a fir coral hit, you would not be in doubt. pain so intense, people can lose consciousness. And then there is swelling. I mean big. Stay with the hydroids, annoying as they are.

I've never had a run in with fire coral, thankfully, and after reading this will give it even more respect going forward.

 

[firstdive2005]

I came up through a tunnel at Palancar caves once, when I looked up I had maybe six inches on each side of me for clearance through the tunnel vertical hole. It is lined with fire coral. I did not feel like backing up. I could not see the vertical tunnel exit lined with the coral only the light when I entered the tunnel shaft. I could see that I had enough to get out so I chose to use it. Once I was in the shaft to exit then I could clearly see the fire coral. That moment was one to start getting calm.
I slowly started my ascent it was about 10ft high. The journey took forever as I looked up and could not move, only use my lungs for ascent. I was enjoying this actually. Very fortunate the hole is litterly vertical. My head popped through and I was almost free. Then I made the mistake of moving my hand, my index finger brushed the coral. I had to remain still to get my legs clear. Very difficult to not become victim of reflex. Once through my finger felt like I had stuck it in a bees nest and left it there for a minute.
My finger became numb and painful at the same time. A difficult pain to describe. It stayed painful after several procedures described above. I can say that when I got stung with the Lion Fish at least that little sting went away after 3hours. The fire coral one lasted 3 weeks. It itched like mad also during the healing. I did not break out just could not get the nomats out.
I remember where the hole is, wont go there again. The tunnel was worth the pain though. I do have a warped sense of adventure.

I have also brushed gentley against coral in tight spots with bare legs, coral is very sharp, if one gets scratched by it, the coral can infect the site. I does not need to be fire coral. If one comes into contact with the fire coral ya know it right now, that's the difference. At least in my experience with skin contact this is the way it happened. I very, very seldom touch the coral or any sea-life as I know how litterly dangerous and poisonous most creatures are.
Except Pez Leon they gotsta go!

 

[DandyDon]

Once through my finger felt like I had stuck it in a bees nest and left it there for a minute.
My finger became numb and painful at the same time. A difficult pain to describe. It stayed painful after several procedures described above. I can say that when I got stung with the Lion Fish at least that little sting went away after 3hours. The fire coral one lasted 3 weeks. It itched like mad also during the healing. I did not break out just could not get the nomats out.

Sounds awful. Did you see a physician? Bill DAN?

 

[BTravlin]

Bill,
We need to come up with a new name for this dimension... Besides pain and itch.

Scratch & burn?

 

[firstdive2005]

Sounds awful. Did you see a physician? Bill DAN?

It was a pretty sore finger but not worthy of a doctor, I just used all the methods that I had come across over the years to try and eleviate the pain and sting. Like the hydoid welts(tattoos) that I manage to bring home I use all the methods at hand to fix me up. By the way my favorite for hydroid is rubbing the green little plants that are on the sandy bottom at shallow depth to clean off the nematocysts. Seems to clean the arean fairly well and not itch as bad. The red welts dont last as long.

 

[CZMDM]

hydroid, like they all said. on a side note, if it was a fir coral hit, you would not be in doubt. pain so intense, people can lose consciousness. And then there is swelling. I mean big. Stay with the hydroids, annoying as they are.

I have been stung several times by fire coral and have seen dozens of divers stung by it and have never ever seen nor even heard of pain nor a reaction anywhere near as bad as the one you are describing. I would much rather be stung by fire coral than a hydroid. Fire coral is encrusting and can grow on almost anything....other corals, rocks and I have even seen the shells of hermit crabs encrusted with fire coral (nice unintended defense mechanism).

The weirdest and strangest hydroid sting I received came from drifting at mid-water and a broken piece drifted onto my lip between my reg and my mask. YEEEOUCH. I do not personally like to use any salves or liquids on hydroid stings as they are runny and salves inhibit the wounds ability to dry. Usually one or two doses of Claritan will clear it up.

 

[sharky60]

I came home a couple of years ago with my fingertips not only numb, but if I bumped them on anything, severe pain shot through my fingers up to my elbow and sometimes as high as my shoulder...this persisted for 9 months! Along with constant peeling of the top layer of skin at my fingertips as soon as it would grow back. I was kind of like when my 'guitar calaises' on my fingertips peel off.

Don't know what I got into, but REALLY don't need that again!!!!

 

[DandyDon]

I came home a couple of years ago with my fingertips not only numb, but if I bumped them on anything, severe pain shot through my fingers up to my elbow and sometimes as high as my shoulder...this persisted for 9 months! Along with constant peeling of the top layer of skin at my fingertips as soon as it would grow back. I was kind of like when my 'guitar calaises' on my fingertips peel off.

Don't know what I got into, but REALLY don't need that again!!!!

I would have certainly seen a physician and billed DAN. Did you?

 

[deborahdelamar]

if it was a fir coral hit, you would not be in doubt. pain so intense, people can lose consciousness. And then there is swelling. I mean big.

Fire coral's bark is waaaay worse than its bite. It's abundant at the snorkel area south of Playa Corona & very hard to avoid in the shallows. Brushed against it several times and feared the worst. Used a lot of vinegar and hot water when I got home a few hours later. Had some small bumps that barely itched the first night -- less itch than a mosquito bite -- then the itching stopped and the bumps disappeared in a few days.

 

[ZenDiver.3D]

Fire coral's bark is waaaay worse than its bite. It's abundant at the snorkel area south of Playa Corona & very hard to avoid in the shallows. Brushed against it several times and feared the worst. Used a lot of vinegar and hot water when I got home a few hours later. Had some small bumps that barely itched the first night -- less itch than a mosquito bite -- then the itching stopped and the bumps disappeared in a few days.

I think it depends on which of the 50 species you get hit with. There are many different types of fire coral. We have dome shaped colonies here that I have touched and they have no effect whatsoever. The purple-black tree like colonies here, however, will set you on fire. And if you react strongly to jellyfish stings, you are in real pain.
We also have a variety here that will cause that nasty infection when scraped, but doesn't sting. I usually only think of the purple kind that really hurts when I think of fire coral.

One thing that makes it worse is fresh water. Do no use water or soap to clean it. And definitely stay away from chlorine and the swimming pool.