Simple ways to get rid of a nettle burn. Nettle burn - what to do

On the territory of Russia, you can often find two types of nettle - dioecious and stinging. The latter variety has a more pronounced irritant effect. A small nettle burn does not pose a serious danger, and in some cases can even be beneficial. The risk of various sizes of blisters, severe pain occurs when large areas of the body are affected, as well as in the case of an allergic reaction to the plant sap. In such situations, burns of the 2nd degree may occur, requiring mandatory treatment.

Why nettle stings

Nature gave the nettle an amazing quality. Due to the presence of burning abilities, the plant is able to defend itself from being eaten by herbivores.

Stinging nettle hairs covering the surface of the stem and leaves have a bag with a special liquid (juice) near the base. It contains several components that cause irritation on the skin:

• formic acid;
• choline;
• serotonin;
• histamine.

Being very thin and sharp, the tips of the nettle hairs easily pierce the skin, allowing the contents of the bag to instantly penetrate inside. The result of such contact is the occurrence of burns and discomfort on the surface of the skin.

Signs of a nettle burn

A burn as a result of touching nettles causes the immediate development of unpleasant symptoms:

• acute pain;
• heating of the skin at the point of contact with the plant;
• redness, slight swelling;
• severe itching, blisters.

In some cases, an allergic reaction occurs, which is manifested by a rise in body temperature, weakness, shortness of breath. With increased sensitivity to nettle juice, tachycardia (rapid heartbeat), pronounced swelling of the skin also develop.

Most often, a negative reaction from contact with grass leaves or stems disappears within 15-30 minutes. In allergy sufferers, both children and adults, the discomfort can persist much longer.

What to do with a nettle burn: first aid

Properly rendered first aid will quickly relieve itching and pain, restore a healthy appearance to the epidermis.

Skin affected by a stinging plant can be soothed in the following ways:

1. By applying an ice pack or a clean cloth dampened with cold water. Warm liquid is not recommended - it increases pain.
2. Lubricating the affected areas of the body with fresh sorrel juice (often this plant can be found near nettle thickets).
3. By applying a washed and pounded plantain leaf to the site of damage.

It is useful for parents to know how to relieve itching on children's skin. A nettle burn in a child can be treated with a solution of baking soda, which has the consistency of gruel. Effective apple or ordinary table vinegar, combined with water in equal proportions.

With the correct implementation of these actions, the victim's well-being improves within 20-30 minutes. To avoid deterioration of the skin condition, it is not recommended to take a hot bath or shower for a while.

After first aid, avoid scratching irritated areas. To completely get rid of uncomfortable sensations, it is recommended to additionally use medications.

Further treatment

Additional treatment of burns with nettle is indicated for children and owners of sensitive skin. Therapy of irritated epidermis involves the use of effective medications and folk remedies.

The choice of a specific remedy should be made based on the intensity of burns and associated symptoms. In uncomplicated cases, traditional medicine recipes will come to the rescue, while with an extensive degree of skin damage and the presence of allergies, the use of pharmaceutical preparations is mandatory.

Medicines and cosmetics

After contact with a formidable plant, it is useful to know how to anoint the damaged area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe body. Nettle burns can be eliminated by the following products:

• Cream La Cree is applied to the affected areas of the skin with a thin layer, three times a day. The drug has a mild effect, can be used in young children.
• Sinaflan is allowed to use after 2 years. The affected areas are treated with the drug up to 4 times a day.
• Means Lokoid lubricate the epidermis 1-3 times during the day. Menovazin ointment is used in a similar way.
• Camphor or salicylic alcohol is recommended for children under 3 years of age. These foods help relieve minor burns. For the purpose of skin treatment, they are used diluted with water.

After receiving extensive damage, antihistamines are used in tablets - Diazolin, Suprastin, Zodak. With intense itching, it is recommended to smear the burn with Fenistil gel.

An urgent visit to the doctor will be required in a situation where the victim has a sharp deterioration in his general condition, shortness of breath, bronchospasm, severe intoxication.

Folk methods

Traditional medicine can suggest how to treat a burn at home. The use of folk remedies will relieve itchy sensations and avoid the appearance of large blisters.

If an adult or child is burned with nettles, you can use aloe leaves, cosmetic clay, the root of the plant itself.

• The aloe leaf is peeled, applied to the site of inflammation, and fixed with a clean bandage. The bandage is removed after 30 minutes. The procedure can be repeated several times during the day.
• Cosmetic clay is diluted with water to a mushy state, after which it is distributed in a thin layer on the affected area of ​​the epidermis. After drying, the clay will need to be washed off with cool water or removed using wet wipes.
• From nettle burns, the root of the plant itself helps well. A gruel made from it is treated with painful places on the skin.

The hairs that are not visible to the eye, remaining on the body after contact with the grass, are easily removed with ordinary tape. Cut off a small piece, you should use it to “wet” the affected areas of the skin.

The benefits and harms of nettle burns

Nettle varieties that can provoke life-threatening conditions do not grow on the territory of the CIS countries. The most negative consequence of the herbal "attack" is an allergic reaction.

It is interesting to know that nettle burns can be beneficial. Harsh grass bites are recommended for people with the following conditions:

• arthritis;
• rheumatism;
• atherosclerosis;
• varicose veins.

This is due to the ability of nettle to increase blood circulation, activate the work of numerous capillaries. Formic acid, which is part of nettle juice, exhibits pronounced analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties.

You can benefit from nettle burning only with directed local application, carried out under the supervision of a specialist (traditional healer).

How to avoid burns

In unfamiliar places, it is not always easy to notice a plant. Nettles can grow under trees or in dense grass. To prevent the occurrence of nettle burns while in nature, it is recommended to wear clothes with long sleeves and trousers. This rule is primarily relevant for children and adults prone to allergic reactions.

If you need to pass by nettle thickets, you need to take steps as carefully as possible. If even a small distance is observed, the needles of the plant will not be able to dig into human skin.

Many people like to relax in nature or in their suburban area. And such an unpleasant thing as a nettle burn can happen. By itself, it is not dangerous, but causes a burning sensation, which spoils the rest. If an adult can stoically endure "suffering", then what to say about a child - for him, nettles can turn into a fear of childhood. How to be treated for a nettle burn, how to relieve symptoms - everyone needs to know this.

First aid

As a rule, a nettle burn is not dangerous and subsides quickly. But if a person is allergic to this plant, then the situation can be deplorable: the development of edema and the appearance of severe itching, which will not go away even after a couple of days.

If you get a nettle burn, you must take the following actions:

• Avoid re-contact with the plant.
• Inspect the affected area, but do not touch it, otherwise the nettle hairs will spread to other areas of the skin.
• Never rub your eyes.
• Hair needs to be removed. Something sticky is suitable - tape or adhesive tape.
• Redness can be removed with a first aid kit or by contacting a doctor.
• Poison nettle hairs can be removed by thoroughly washing your hands with soap and water.

In the absence of an allergy to nettle and its poison, you can be cured at home. Otherwise, consult a doctor, as the consequences may not be pleasant.

What Not to Do

First, in no case should heat be applied to the affected area. So a hot relaxing shower or bath will have to be abandoned.

Secondly, you can not scratch the burn, even if you really want to. Scratching the skin will make it easier for infections to enter the body. Yes, and scratched skin will hurt more and take longer to heal. You can apply ice if you are tired of enduring the itching.

Thirdly, you can not use sunflower oil. For some reason, in the minds of some representatives of the older generation, the idea that the burn needs to be treated with oil has firmly settled down. Sunflower oil will only create a barrier between the skin and the air, and will not allow it to breathe, as a result of which it will heat up, and this should not be allowed.

How to treat a nettle burn

Nettles are everywhere - in nature, at home, with ointments and gels.

Treatment in nature

Symptoms of a burn can be removed with the help of earth. Moreover, the land is taken from the site where the plant itself grows. Then mix water and earth and smear over the affected area. However, it must be remembered that pathogenic bacteria can enter the body with the earth, so this method is suitable only for people vaccinated against tetanus.

Often sorrel or plantain is used. Plantain is generally famous for its healing abilities. Before use, the leaves must be washed in clean water so as not to infect the skin. The leaves need to be crushed so that the juice stands out, and apply to the burnt area.

If there is clay nearby, then it can be used to relieve itching. It is enough to knead a little clay and apply a thin layer on the affected area of ​​​​the skin.

Treatment at home

To relieve itching, you can use ice wrapped in a towel. It is enough to apply an ice compress to the itchy area. If there is no ice in the refrigerator, then you can use snow (if it is winter outside) or any chilled product.

A slurry of cold water and soda helps relieve inflammation and pain. It is necessary to mix the ingredients well so that the mixture is not too liquid, and carefully apply to the affected area. When the mixture dries, it must be removed with a cotton swab moistened with warm water.

Aloe is a well-known remedy that relieves swelling and itching.

You need to cut a piece of aloe leaf and anoint the skin with its juice. If such a plant does not grow on the windowsill, but there is a gel with a high concentration of aloe, then you can use it.

Pharmacy clay, it turns out, can be used not only as a mask for the face and neck. It helps relieve itching. It is enough to dilute a little clay with water, lubricate the skin area, and rinse off after drying.

Medical treatment

In a pharmacy, you can ask what remedy helps if a nettle burn occurs, than to relieve itching. As a rule, pharmacists offer something from the following list:

• Hydrocortisone. This is a hormonal drug that comes in the form of gels and ointments. Usually available without a prescription, but due to the content of hormones, it is better to consult a doctor. Treats severe nettle burn.
• Painkiller. Suitable tablets like "Aspirin", which has an analgesic effect. Also, if the tablets have antipyretic properties (still the same Aspirin), then swelling is removed.
• Ointments with antibiotics. Destroy microbes that could get on the skin, and also relieve inflammation. They produce a cooling effect, due to which they relieve pain.
• Lotions, such as Calamine. Helps to relieve burning sensation and discomfort.

How to help a child

Since the skin of children is delicate and thin, it is necessary to treat the affected area as soon as possible in order to avoid the appearance of large blisters. A nettle burn in a child is treated with advice for adults: apply clay diluted with water, or an ice compress.

Alcohol or vodka will help to avoid the spread of poison - for this you need to moisten a cotton swab and wipe the affected skin.

If the nettle burn has already shown blisters, then you need to prepare a lotion from water and 1% boric acid.

Are nettle burns useful?

Do not get upset, getting a little burned on the nettle. What is a way of protection for a plant can become a prophylactic for a person. Nettle burns help to disperse blood throughout the body, reduce the likelihood of inflammation. And nettle lotions are often used to treat atherosclerosis, varicose veins and arthritis. It is not for nothing that nettle brooms are harvested for the bath.

Nettle venom also contains formic acid, which is a natural pain reliever.

Many fans of alternative medicine even have a mini nettle garden at home for treatment, so if a nettle burn occurs, the benefits will outweigh the suffering.

Nettle is an extremely useful plant. Although his burns may seem unpleasant, it turns out that they heal the body. For preventive purposes, nettle burns are even useful if a person is not allergic to the plant and its poison. Otherwise, the nettle burn will bring harm immediately, so it must be quickly cured.

In this article:

When summer comes, people rush to home gardens, go to the forest for mushrooms and berries, and relax in nature. But a danger lurks in the green grass - nettles, and no one is safe from its burning bites. If adults cautiously part the stems, knowing that among them there may be insidious nettles, then children carelessly jump among green bushes and inadvertently sting with its small needles. Nettle burn is very painful, although short. But in some cases, it causes a severe allergic reaction. What to do with a nettle burn, when the necessary medicines are not at hand, and the pain is unbearable? After all, it happens that people get extensive burns, when most of the skin is covered with a painful red rash that does not go away for several hours, or even days.

Substances that can reduce pain and remove redness that has arisen on the skin in a short time

• Earth wetted with water and taken from the place where the nettle grows
• Plantain and sorrel leaves
• Ice or very cold water jet
• Baking soda mixed in water to a paste
• Clay

earth with water

Surprisingly, gruel from the earth with water, which is taken in the place where the nettle bush grows, very quickly removes painful symptoms. But you need to pay attention to the fact that the earth does not contain foreign impurities, because instead of the desired one, you can achieve the opposite effect if pathogenic bacteria get on the skin. Therefore, such treatment should be reserved as a last resort, when no medications were taken with them that relieve inflammation on the skin.

Leaves of medicinal plants

You need to pay attention to whether there are plantain bushes nearby. If a burn is received on a personal plot, sorrel leaves will help well. The leaves must be crushed in the palms until light green juice forms on their surface, and the plant is applied to the affected area for several minutes. It is easy for a child to suggest that this particular herb will help relieve pain. He believes, and the feeling of heat from a nettle burn on the skin passes very quickly. Before applying the leaves to the skin, they must be washed so as not to infect the affected skin.

Soda with water

Treatment with soda is used not only in case of a nettle burn, but also to relieve itching after insect bites. Treatment with this readily available substance is quite effective. Making a soda solution is short and easy. After what happened, it is enough to rub it on the sore spot, and irritation at the site of the bite or where the nettle needles have dug in quickly passes. When the solution dries on the skin, the soda can be easily removed with a clean piece of cloth or a cotton pad.

Cold water

If there is a source of cold water nearby, then you can try to relieve pain by pouring water on the burned area. The pain will increase for a few seconds, but then it will surely subside. This can be done when people are engaged in weeding the garden, and water the seedlings that have appeared on the beds with water. But if a nettle burn occurred in the forest, when the drinking water in the bottle was heated by the sun's rays, such a burn treatment would be ineffective and it would be better to use other methods of pain relief.

Clay

A nearby clay deposit will help you easily cope with the unpleasant situation that has arisen, if you add water to a small amount of clay and knead it to the state of heated plasticine. Such a mask will very successfully lie on the site of the burn and instantly relieve pain. Clay treatment for nettle burns is not only effective, but also a very pleasant procedure.

Possible allergic symptoms with a nettle burn

• Edema and swelling of the skin
• Increasing sensation of heat and malaise
• Increased body temperature.
• Increased heart rate
• Labored breathing

In cases where a severe allergic reaction occurs to a nettle burn, you need to treat the burns with a weak solution of salicylic acid or apple cider vinegar, take a drug that relieves painful symptoms. This should be done quickly and in a timely manner so that allergic manifestations do not worsen. These drugs include suprastin, claritin, tavegil. After that, you need to call an ambulance and accurately follow all the recommendations that the paramedic will give. In this case, the treatment will not be delayed, and the sick person will recover in a short time.

When staying in nature, the risk of getting burned by plants that cause skin irritation with their juice is quite high. One such plant is nettle. But at the same time, it should be noted that practice shows that in the absence of an allergy to such damage, a nettle burn is not dangerous for humans. If you know how to act when you receive such an injury, it will not be difficult to eliminate discomfort and prevent the consequences.

Is a nettle burn useful?

Having received a nettle burn, you should not worry, as it can even benefit the body. Such burns help to improve blood circulation processes, reduce various inflammations, and in addition act as a prophylactic against diseases such as rheumatism or arthritis. Therefore, people often even specially grow nettle at home, using its young sprouts to improve their health.

ICD-10 code

T20-T32 Thermal and chemical burns

Causes Nettle burn in a child and an adult: benefit or harm

Why does nettle sting? This is a protective mechanism of this plant, with the help of which it tries to protect itself from possible eating by herbivores. On its leaves and stem there are special burning villi of a pointed shape with a small sac located at the base. As a result of any impact, the tip of this villus pierces the skin, and the contents of the pouch pass through the puncture into the skin, causing a burn at the point of contact. Nettle cell juice contains several elements that have irritating properties:

• histamine, which is a conductor of inflammatory reactions;
• serotonin with choline;
• formic acid.

All these substances can cause a burn on the skin, which manifests itself in the form of very unpleasant symptoms.

Symptoms Nettle burn in a child and an adult: benefit or harm

Direct contact with the plant causes an immediate skin reaction. The first sign is a sharp pain, usually disappearing on its own after 5-10 minutes. Further on the burned area, the temperature increases, redness occurs, and in addition to this, a small edema. Itching begins, and blisters characteristic of a nettle burn form on the skin.

Blisters after a nettle burn

In case of blisters after a burn, nettle should be used for treatment with boric acid (solution should be 1%). It must be diluted in equal proportions with water, and make lotions, treating the burn site.

Nettle burn in children

Since the skin in children, due to their age, does not yet have an effective protective barrier, they are more vulnerable to burns - nettle damages their delicate and sensitive skin much more. The burned areas turn red and begin to itch strongly, and children (especially very young ones) may not understand that it is impossible to comb the wounds in any case - as a result, the pain becomes even stronger, causing the baby even more discomfort. Therefore, such a development of events should be prevented in advance by quickly helping the child - for this you can use both medicines and traditional medicine methods.

Complications and consequences

As a complication from a nettle burn, a separate category of people (especially children) can develop a rather severe allergic reaction. It manifests itself in the form of such symptoms:

• increase in temperature;
• feeling of weakness;
• edema appears on the skin;
• heart rate accelerates;
• shortness of breath begins.

Diagnosis Nettle burn in a child and an adult: benefit or harm

With an allergic reaction to a nettle burn, the symptoms may differ slightly from the usual clinical picture, so laboratory and diagnostic testing may be required. Only the results of such an examination can finally confirm the allergic nature of the disease.

During the examination, a blood test is performed to identify the accumulation in it of specific antibodies that belong to the IgE category of immunoglobulins. The results of this analysis allow you to determine the form of the disease and select the specifics of further treatment.

Skin rashes that appear on any part of the body, similar to a nettle burn, are one of the symptoms of urticaria, a common skin disease. Other manifestations include the following:

• palpable itching;
• in some cases, the skin turns red, swelling appears on it.

Typically, such blisters do not stay on the skin for more than 12 hours, but after a while they can appear on another part of the body.

When such a rash occurs once or appears only periodically (moreover, a maximum of 6 weeks have passed since its first occurrence), then this is an acute form of the disease.

When rashes continue to occur after 6 weeks, this means the development of a chronic form of urticaria.

Treatment Nettle burn in a child and an adult: benefit or harm

If an allergic reaction to a burn occurs, timely treatment is necessary. A person needs help as soon as possible, since the aggravation of allergies cannot be allowed. First, you should treat the burn using apple cider vinegar or salicylic acid (weak solution) - this will remove pain and other allergic symptoms. Next, you should immediately call an ambulance.

Medications

To eliminate the symptoms of a nettle burn, you can use Menovazin. This is a fairly effective tool, and also quite inexpensive. The composition of the drug contains the substance racementol, which helps to relieve itching and has an analgesic effect on the burnt parts of the skin.

To avoid allergy symptoms, it is necessary to take antihistamine drugs - these include drugs such as diazolin, suprastin, tavegil, and in addition claritin.

For the treatment of a burn in a child or a person with sensitive skin, a highly effective La Cree cream is suitable. It contains exclusively natural substances, effectively eliminates the symptoms of a nettle burn, and in addition, it contributes to the rapid recovery of the skin. Also, this cream has good moisturizing and nourishing properties. La cree will help to remove unpleasant manifestations from a burn in a short time, and in addition, it will provide reliable protection for sensitive, recovering skin.

Menovazin should be applied to the burned parts of the skin 2-3 times a day. Among the side effects of this medication - in the case of prolonged use, dizziness may occur, and in addition, there is a decrease in blood pressure and a feeling of general weakness. A contraindication to the use of the drug is the individual intolerance to novocaine.

Suprastin should be drunk 2-3 times a day with meals (the dosage is 0.025 g). In the case of a severe course of the disease, a 2% solution is administered to the patient intravenously or intramuscularly (1-2 ml each). The dosage for children is a quarter, 1/3 or half a tablet 2-3 times a day (a more accurate dose is determined in accordance with the age of the child). Side effects include a feeling of general weakness, as well as drowsiness. Contraindications to admission are diseases such as prostate hypertrophy and glaucoma.

Alternative treatment

There are quite a few folk methods for treating nettle burns. They are very effective in dealing with redness, itching and blisters resulting from contact with this plant. But before using these recipes, you must first clean the burnt area from burning hairs, as they will continue to irritate the skin.

To avoid getting new burns, you should first move away from nettle thickets. From the villi remaining after contact with nettles on the skin, you can get rid of the following methods:

• wet a piece of clean cloth with ice water, and then gently remove dust and dirt from the injured skin;
• then attach an adhesive tape or other adhesive tape to this place, and then carefully peel it off the affected surface - the villi of the plant will detach along with it;
• if there is no duct tape on hand, you need to mix some earth with water and apply the resulting slurry to the burn. Then wait for the dirt to dry, and remove it, thus clearing the skin of burning villi;
• after completing the procedure for removing villi, you need to disinfect the skin. For this, such means are used - camphor, boric or salicylic alcohol or a solution of hydrogen peroxide. A cotton swab or bandage soaked in the medicine should be treated with the affected area.

Since the composition of the poisonous juice produced by the villi of the nettle contains formic acid, it is necessary first to neutralize its effect. The most effective remedy in this case will be baking soda. To remove the pain from a burn, you should make a mixture of soda with water (you should get a slurry), and then treat the injured surface with it. Then it is necessary after some time to remove the mixture - with cold water or with a clean cloth. Instead of soda, laundry or liquid soap (as it has a slightly alkaline pH) or ordinary table vinegar can be used.

In this case, a clay compress also has an effective effect. In addition, you can wipe the burn site with any available alcohol solution or plain vodka. This procedure will quickly remove an irritating toxic substance from the skin.

Herbal treatment

Healing herbs, such as, for example, aloe vera, also have a therapeutic effect on nettle burns. Its pulp and juice have powerful anti-inflammatory properties, which allows them to quickly eliminate irritation.

You should also pay attention to plants growing next to nettles - such as plantain, horse or curly sorrel, as well as horsetail and balsam. You should tear off a leaf from any of them, then rinse it with water, knead it until juice is obtained, and then attach it to the burn for several minutes. Symptoms should subside within 30 minutes.

To remove irritation with itching, nettle root is also often used. A slurry made from it needs to be treated with a burn site.

Forecast

Nettle burn has a favorable prognosis. When prompt and correct first aid is provided, the symptoms of a burn soon disappear, without negative consequences. Complications can occur if a person is allergic to nettle, or there is an extensive burn, but even in this case, a timely visit to a doctor and prompt assistance will help eliminate the threat to health.

Summer time is good because you can walk anywhere, especially in nature. But in nature there is one very insidious plant - this is nettle. Even with a slight touch, it can leave severe chemical burns on your legs, arms, body. As a result, you will get irritation, pain and itching in one bottle. And how and how to treat a nettle burn, we will figure it out right now. But it is worth recalling that such damage is not entirely harmful. They also have benefits.

Why are nettle burns useful?

Nettle burn raises body temperature and improves blood circulation in the place where it is located.

At the same time, such types of exposure relieve some types of pain. In particular, nettle is useful for rheumatism.

It is important to note that some masters of alternative medicine use nettles to treat atherosclerosis, varicose veins, arthritis, and so on.

Among other things, formic acid enters the blood during a burn. It also contains many useful substances that have a good effect on the body.

And if we talk about the use of this plant for food, then this is generally a storehouse of health. No wonder nettle borscht is considered the most nutritious.

How to cure nettle burn?

Despite all the benefits, traces of this plant are still worth eliminating.

And this will help you:

1. Water. Like a temperature burn, nettle damage is well eliminated with cold water;
2. Earth. Yes, yes, but you didn't know. Apply some damp earth to the burn and you will feel better;
3. Apple cider vinegar with water. Good for blisters;
4. A bowl of soda with water. This is a versatile tool!
5. Anti-allergy drugs, such as: Suprastin, Lorano, Tavegila.

And of course, you should not scratch the burn. Otherwise, you can grind the damaged skin to blood.

By the way, if you have already rubbed the skin, then you should not apply earth or dirty water to it. You understand exactly why.

How to avoid nettle burns?

To avoid getting burned by this herb, you should always wear long sleeves and trousers when you go outdoors. After all, an insidious plant is not always noticeable in the grass and under the trees. And it's easy to hit him by accident.

Nettle has mini needles on its leaves. It is they who prick, and do not burn, as it seems to us. Therefore, if you need to pass by nettles, then do it very carefully. With a gentle touch, the needles simply cannot dig into you.

Don't be heroic. If you have to walk through the area with nettles, then just crush the plants with your feet or with a stick. It will be better this way.

It is important to note that soaking nettles in water neutralizes their pungency. It is not known how exactly this will help you, but still.

But even if you are still burned, then nothing will happen to you. After all, in our area the tree laportea does not grow. It is a tropical analogue of nettle. Her burns are so severe that she can cause death in some cases. Such a killer is common in Southeast Asia and Australia. Keep this in mind.