Does pee really help jellyfish stings?

We asked a medical toxicologist and her answer surprised us

If you’ve ever seen the famous “The One with the Jellyfish” episode of Friends, then you’ve asked the same question we did: Does pee help jellyfish stings?

Before we answer if urine can help jellyfish stings, let’s run through some facts about jellyfish and their stings. As anyone who’s ever encountered a jellyfish up close can tell you, these animals can deliver an incredibly painful sting, which may leave you asking for relief by any means necessary.

What Are Jellyfish and What Are Jellyfish Stings?

First, jellyfish isn’t a scientific label but it generally means any of the umbrella-shaped invertebrate marine animals with tentacles that typically trail behind.

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Dr. Kelly Johnson-Arbor, a medical toxicologist at the National Capital Poison Center, says there are more than 9,000 different species (hence the catch-all term “jellyfish”) of which around 100 are harmful to humans. Jellyfish are also fairly widespread around the globe and in U.S. waters, including those off the east coast, the Gulf of Mexico, Hawaii and the Caribbean.

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