Nettle Sting Remedy: How to cure stinging nettle ? Is there any treatment to stop a nettle sting from paining you?
The stinging nettle is an herbaceous plant that is found in abundance in parts of northern Africa and Asia, Europe, and North America. It grows to around one to two feet during summer and comes down to the ground during winter. Stolons and rhizomes are spread widely in this plant, and just like the roots they are bright yellow in color. The green leaves are one to six inches in length and grow opposite to each other on the wiry and erect stem. The margin of the leaves is strongly serrated and has an acuminated tip, with the terminal leaf lengthier than the adjacent laterals. The stem and leaves are covered with a lot of hair that are stinging as well as non-stinging.
When a person comes in contact with the hair, the tips function like needles, injecting many chemicals like serotonin, 5-HT, histamine, acetylcholine, and maybe even formic acid into the person. The mix of these chemical compounds is what causes a significant amount of pain or parenthesia. This injecting of the poison into those who come into contact with it is a defense mechanism to provide protection from external dangers. Once a person comes in contact with the stinging nettle, painful allergic reactions may start to manifest. Along with the nettle stings allergic reaction, redness in the affected area, irritation, and rashes will be experienced. The histamine that will be released in great amounts is an inflammatory and will cause a burning sensation in the area that is affected. The irritation and burning sensation can be due to the secretion of mucus from the stem to the area of the skin. The symptoms of a stinging nettle can go on for minutes to days, depending on the sensitivity of the individual to the irritants. Due to the fact that the primary irritant is acidic in nature, an effective treatment for stinging nettle can be given by counteracting it with a base.
It is important to administer a nettle sting cure as soon as possible to avoid prolonged irritation and burning. Stinging nettle home remedies to bring about a cure will involve herbs that possess the properties of a natural anti-inflammatory. You should begin the treatment for stinging nettle rash by gently cleaning the area that is affected with a cloth or clean towel and dab at it instead of rubbing it. You should also refrain from touching the area that is affected as it is possible for some of the residue to be spread to other parts of the body. Once you have properly cleaned the area you can put a gel or pulp of aloe vera to the rash as it acts as an effective anti-inflammatory.
A very effective stinging nettle remedy to neutralize the acidic sting is a paste made by mixing water and baking soda. You should apply this mixture to the area that is affected as soon as you come in contact with the stinging nettle. You will see results quite fast in the easing of the itching and pain. If you’re working in an area that you know has the presence of the stinging nettle plants or are hiking, it will be useful for you to take along with you some baking soda and water. This will enable you to prepare a mixture of the baking soda and water and apply it if you get stung. You could also carry with you insect sting-relief liquids, wipes or pads. They will also help bring relief to the itching and pain that comes with the sting of the plant. For a stinging nettle treatment, vinegar can also be used instead of baking soda.
If you do not have any access to baking soda, you could search for a jewelweed or curd lock plant. Usually, these plants grow quite close to the stinging nettle. You can use any one of these plants to rub onto the area that is exposed to soothe the burning sensation and itching. If you get stung and find yourself without any baking soda and are not able to procure the jewelweed or the curled lock plant, you could rub some of your saliva onto the area that is affected. As the saliva of humans is slightly basic in nature, this can be used as a last resort to bring some relief. Once you reach a location where you can administer proper fist aid, you should carefully look over the affected area in sufficient light. If you notice some spines on your skin, you should use the sticky part of a masking tape or duct tape to take them out. You should then wash the affected area with some water and soap and pat it dry. You could also put some antihistamine cream to bring down the redness and swelling. If you don’t see any improvement after the cure for stinging nettles has been given or if you start to experience other symptoms, make sure to consult a doctor. Your doctor may ask you to take an oral analgesic or antihistamine to bring some relief.
Another way of bringing relief to the burning sensation is to give the affected area a hot water bath. Applying a paste of some ginger along with a little garlic onto the affected area will alleviate the allergic reaction from the stem and bring relief to the pain. Rubbing some lemon juice or honey onto the area can also help reduce the pain. Lemon juice in particular is very effective in fighting the histamine and other kinds of acids that may have been transferred to the skin during the contact with the stinging nettle. You could also apply some alkaline products like cucumber and lettuce to soothe the burning, pain, and irritation.
You can also avoid experiencing the unpleasant symptoms of the stinging nettle by taking some precautions. If you are venturing into an area that contains stinging nettles, make sure that your legs are completely covered and you’ve got on a pair of gloves. Even with the safety measures in place, you should carry with you some of the ingredients for a stinging nettle treatment and a first aid kit.
Nettles cause the pain they do because they induce an inflammatory response. An inflammatory response is the immune system’s reaction to injury, pathogen attack and allergies. The main ingredient in an inflammation is histamine that is secreted and that causes the skin or tissue to swell up and secrete mucus in an attempt to protect the tissue from further damage.
As an evolutionary development, many plants develop certain poisons that are useful in protecting them from predators. Some of these poisons can kill and some of them create reactions like allergic reactions. Curiously enough, these very poisons were used as a medicine for curing various ailments; and still are used for the same reason in some cases. This is because inducing an inflammation or a controlled inflammation is sometimes useful for the body. Another use of a poison is the creation of its antithesis and the stinging nettles derivative has been used in the treatment of inflammatory disorders like arthritis. On a slightly different front, the juice of nettles is also known to be a very effective diuretic. Stinging nettles are especially potent because of the presence of histamine in their stings. Formic acid is also a constituent of their chemical attack, which is also used by some ants to immobilize and kill predators and prey.
The best way to treat a nettle sting is to administer anti-inflammatory medicine like hydrocortisone. This is available in some ointments and is the most effective treatment for topical inflammations. Aloe Vera is also quite a useful addition though its anti-inflammatory strength leaves much to be desired. Other cures that do not have scientific credentials but that have been accepted traditionally include the application of hot mud, hot water baths, and the immediate application of saliva are said to be useful in alleviate the symptoms of nettle stings. Alternatively, a few analgesic tablets would also reduce the symptoms. You could also try to slice a clove of garlic and make a paste of it with ginger and apply it to the sores. This should work pretty well because ginger is a natural anti-inflammatory though it is most effective when used for respiratory tract infections. You could also try to apply some honey over the area to sooth the pain. Lemon juice is also worth a shot. This is because lemon juice’s acids can help wash away some of the histamine and other acids from the area of the wound. Follow this up with an application of baking soda.
