New Diver Coral Scrape

[doncori]

I'm a new diver who recently went diving for the first time in the ocean off of Montego Bay Jamaica. I was pushed into a coral reef by another new fellow diver. I have no idea what type of coral it was however if looked like it was healing just fine but now after one week the individual scrapes have puffed up to resemble long bug bites and they itch really bad. Is this the normal healing process or is something else going on. When I got back on the boat I rinsed with fresh water and saw the nurse who washed it with antiseptic and put neosporan on the cut. She said I should be fine but since I am new I am unsure. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Gary D.]

I'm a new diver who recently went diving for the first time in the ocean off of Montego Bay Jamaica. I was pushed into a coral reef by another new fellow diver. I have no idea what type of coral it was however if looked like it was healing just fine but now after one week the individual scrapes have puffed up to resemble long bug bites and they itch really bad. Is this the normal healing process or is something else going on. When I got back on the boat I rinsed with fresh water and saw the nurse who washed it with antiseptic and put neosporan on the cut. She said I should be fine but since I am new I am unsure. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

OH MY GOD YOUR GOING TObe just fine. But to be on the safe side have your doc check it out.

If you are good and healthy you should fight off the infection by just keeping it clean and using a local antiseptic. Keep an eye on it and get to the doc if it starts to spread.

Did you check and see if the coral was doing OK?

Gary D.

 

[sharkdiver00]

You should be Ok, but it takes time to heal. Just to be on the safe side, make sure you see your doctor and tell them what you have done so far. Also make sure you keep all areas with lesions clean. I am sure your doctor can give you something to speed the process a bit. Good Luck and let lus know how you do. Maria

 

[Kriterian]

It's possible you've come into contact with "Fire Coral". Here is a link that explains the symptoms. There are several home remedies you can try also listed. If your conditions get any worse I would advise seeking a doctors advice.

Fire Coral @ Emedicine

 

[ScubaFreak]

OH MY GOD YOUR GOING TObe just fine. But to be on the safe side have your doc check it out.

Hee hee....that was funny....

 

[melfox26]

I'm a new diver who recently went diving for the first time in the ocean off of Montego Bay Jamaica. I was pushed into a coral reef by another new fellow diver. I have no idea what type of coral it was however if looked like it was healing just fine but now after one week the individual scrapes have puffed up to resemble long bug bites and they itch really bad. Is this the normal healing process or is something else going on. When I got back on the boat I rinsed with fresh water and saw the nurse who washed it with antiseptic and put neosporan on the cut. She said I should be fine but since I am new I am unsure. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I was also pushed into some fire coral by a newbie in a swim through in Cozumel last May, had a pretty nasty left forearm there for a while. I remember it burning pretty bad for a minute then the pain went away. It started to welt up when the dive was over. I started putting 1% hydrocortisone cream on it several times a day and it made it feel a lot better, didn't itch so much. Still was uglier than hell to look at. It'll go away after several weeks, don't worry.

Mel
PADI Rescue Diver

 

[mgersch@cox.net]

OK I know that this sounds totally gross but,

I have head from several different people that if you are ever exposed to fire coral that the treatment, almost the antidote actually, is urine. The thing is that the treatment only works if used in the first hour or so.

I have never done this treatment personally, but I know 2 divers that have and they will swear by it...
-Mike

 

[Wristshot]

doncori,

I got a small patch on my left wrist my last trip to Cozumel. It didn't blister up for about three days, but then it itched like crazy, and it lasted quite a while (like 3 weeks) I used some Neosporin type stuff with no success. Eventually, on the recommendations of a Chiropractor (don't ask - she was a waterskiing friend and a babe!) I used hydrocortizone and the blisters cleared up real quickly.

Wristshot

Of course full length color high resolution photos of you in a bikini, front and back would help us decide whether there is anything to worry about from the scrapes.

 

[DandyDon]

OK I know that this sounds totally gross but,

I have head from several different people that if you are ever exposed to fire coral that the treatment, almost the antidote actually, is urine. The thing is that the treatment only works if used in the first hour or so.

I have never done this treatment personally, but I know 2 divers that have and they will swear by it...
-Mike

Yeah, I got stung on the forehead by a jellyfish when I stepped off of a boat last Oct. Always someone onboard to offer the cure. I used vinegar, then calamine, but hydrocortizone probably would have been better. Had a scab for weeks. Something to show the folks back home.

Something to warn divers & swimmers about is scrapes that get worse overnight. Get to the Emergency Room, ASAP. I have a scar on my chest from before Scuba, 4 years ago, to remind me not to swim near rocks and white water. No one on the crusie boat warned me about vibrio infections, but they kill a lot more swimmners than any shark ever thought of doing in. DAN's magazine has a good article this month on this sort of thing this month. Lost 3 Texans to it so far this year.

I have Long Jumpsuits in 7 mil, 5, 3, 1, and a skin, but I never wear a Shorty. If I don't wear hi-top booties, I wear nylon socks; I wear gloves on wreck dives ; and I'm going to start carrying them in my BC on reefs to don before approaching the ladder.

 

[mgersch@cox.net]

Don Dandy,
I can see how the "cure" would be a VERY HARD SELL for you given the location of your injury