This small fish, which lives in the sand all along our French coasts, claims victims every year among bathers, fishermen and walkers. What are the symptoms of a sharp bite? How to react ? What are the potential complications ?  

The vives, also nicknamed “peephole thorns” are small fish that have a poisonous dorsal needle. Buried under the sand, they migrate in shallow water to lay their eggs in spring and summer, namely in the middle of the bathing season, thus threatening swimmers. There are said to be between 200 and 300 bites each year in France.

The vives flourish on the entire French coast, and in particular on the beaches of the southwest as well as on the Mediterranean coast. Their sting is particularly formidable, and triggers a very strong immediate pain similar to an electric shock, which can cause discomfort, nausea or vomiting.  

The live is not an aggressive fish that deliberately attacks humans. Its sting is reflex, and is triggered when you put your foot or hand on its dorsal fin, the first spine of which is erectile and poisonous. The second dorsal fin of the snapper, on the other hand, is flexible and harmless.

The main victims are bathers, who get stung in their feet, or fishermen, who are often hit in the hands. Most of the time, the bite takes place in shallow water (1m to 1m), when swimming or playing balloons.

Warning: even dead, the live can continue to sting!

The symptoms of a bitewing are immediate and very intense. The victim first feels a sharp pain, which may be accompanied by a burning sensation, tingling and numbness. It can then radiate to the root of the affected limb (thigh or shoulder).

Sometimes vesicles are observed around the point of the bite, and local edema.

The pain is sometimes so intense that it can cause nausea, dizziness, vomiting, or even in the worst case, fainting with loss of consciousness. The danger is drowning, so the victim must be immediately removed from the water.

The sharp bite is very painful but a priori never serious: it does not cause any complications and the pain spontaneously regresses in 24 to 48 hours. It never causes a serious allergic reaction such as anaphylactic shock.

The only risk of the bite is drowning, which can be caused by the discomfort it causes.

In the event of a bite on a supervised beach, lifeguards will take care of it quickly with the appropriate equipment.

In the absence of rescuers, the victim should be out of the water, lying down with the affected limb elevated.

The venom of the live is sensitive to heat, it is said to be thermolabile. By applying heat to the bite, the pain will subside. For the operation to be effective, the heat source must be around 45 ° and must be applied for about fifteen minutes to the bite.

We often hear that it is necessary to urinate on a sharp bite to treat it. This belief is a myth and comes from the fact that the urine is hot, since it is at body temperature, or 37 °. But on the one hand the temperature is too low, and on the other hand the duration of application – that of the urinary stream – is insufficient to deactivate the venom.

On the other hand, it is very effective to immerse the stung member in very hot water, or even to bring the sting near a source of heat such as a hair dryer, the flame of a lighter or even ‘a lit cigarette, of course paying attention to the burn.

Secondly, the bite must be carefully disinfected.

If the pain persists, it is possible to take a pain reliever such as paracetamol to calm it.

Finally, it should be checked that the vaccination against tetanus is up to date.

The only effective way to prevent sharp stings is to wear plastic shoes for swimming, or rubber gloves for divers and fishermen.