There’s a lot of folklore on how to treat a jellyfish sting, but the science suggests your best bets may be hot water and topical painkillers — at least in North American waters.

Jellyfish stings are usually not dangerous, but they are very painful.

The popularly promoted antidotes range from vinegar to meat tenderizer to baking soda mixed with water. In a pinch, you, or a very good friend, might try peeing on the sting.

Right now, the American Heart Association and American Red Cross recommend vinegar or a baking soda “slurry,” followed by heat or ice, as the best fixes.

But that’s based mainly on studies done in Australia and Indonesia, said Dr. Nicholas T. Ward of the University of California, San Diego.

And the jellyfish species there are not commonly found in North American waters, Ward told Reuters Health in an email.

So he and his colleagues combed the medical literature for studies specific to North American and Hawaiian jellyfish. They found 19.

Based on those studies, it seems the most broadly effective remedies are

You can read the rest of this article on Reuters: Hot Water, Not Pee, Eases Jellyfish Stings