What to do if you get stung by jellyfish or sea lice while swimming in Nha Trang?

Immediately remove your swimsuit and rinse the skin thoroughly with seawater or saline — fresh water activates remaining stinging cells and worsens the reaction.

Treat the sting site with 5% table vinegar (or lemon juice as an alternative), leaving it on for 15-30 seconds — this neutralizes the toxin.

Remove remaining stinging cells with tweezers or a plastic card, not with bare hands or rubbing. Apply a cold compress for 10-15 minutes to reduce pain and swelling.

Take an antihistamine (cetirizine, loratadine), apply 1% hydrocortisone cream, and use ibuprofen or paracetamol for pain. The rash usually clears up in 1-2 weeks.

If there's severe swelling, fever, nausea, or signs of infection (especially in children), go to a hospital right away — e.g. Khanh Hoa Provincial General Hospital in Nha Trang.

One traveler's experience: for a jellyfish sting, lime juice and an antihistamine helped, and rinsing with running water was avoided. A plankton sting (unlike jellyfish) healed without complications.

Jellyfish stings in Nha Trang can be quite toxic — one adult's burn took about three months to heal, so don't underestimate even small-looking burns.