In rare cases, you may have trouble breathing.
Stingrays have whip-like tails with barbed ends that are used purely for defense.
This article describes the causes and symptoms of stingray stings, including what to do if you get stung.
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How Does a Stingray Sting?
A stingray’s stinger is called acaudal barb.
Depending on the species of stingray, there may be one, two, or three barbs.
A caudal barb is actually a modified scale covered by a layer of skin and mucus.
Stingrays deliver venom by whipping their tail and piercing the skin with their barbs.
Stingrays are not usually aggressive.
Stings tend to occur when people accidentally step on a stingray or surprise it in some other way.
How Common Are Stingray Stings?
There are approximately 1,500 stingray stings in the United States every year.
Most of the stingray stings happen on warm beaches in states like Florida and California.
Fishermen are often stung on the arms as they attempt to remove the fish from a line or net.
A stingray sting can cause mild or major bleeding depending on the size and location of the wound.
Because stingray venom causes local tissue death, the wound is vulnerable toinfection.
Rather than healing normally, the wound can remain open and allowbacteria or fungieasy access to underlying tissues.
In addition, the barb can sometimes break off during the attack and get embedded in the skin.
Surgery sometimes is needed to remove deeply embedded stingers.
The sting may be painful but is usually not dangerous.
When to Call 911
Some stingray wounds are serious.
This simply means dragging your feet through the sand rather than stomping flat-footed.
This can give a stingray a warning sign of your approach, and it will most likely swim away.
The only downside to the stingray shuffle is that you may end up stubbing your toe on a rock.
Summary
A stingray sting is usually not deadly but can be very painful.
You should then go your nearest emergency room or urgent care center to have it checked out.
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