Bites, burns and stings: natural treatments soothe summer's bummers

Vegetarian Times, June, 2002 by Maria Rabat

Asked once what might be done to alleviate the mad itching of chigger bites, writer Calvin Trillin replied: "Amputation, sometimes." Fortunately, most routine bites, burns and stings--the kind of annoyances suffered on hikes and at picnics, ballgames and beach outings--call for less severe measures.

Occasionally these irritations are serious enough to warrant a trip to the emergency room, but most of the time summer's small inconveniences can be treated at home--provided you're prepared. There's no shortage of over-the-counter medicines to treat the injuries associated with the lazy summer days and long, hot nights that are so appealing to insects, but most conventional medications merely mask symptoms and may inhibit the body's natural ability to heal itself. Herbs, vitamins and other natural remedies tend to be gentler on the body and often support recovery.

Bites and Stings

So think about packing up a personal, herbal first-aid kit. Stock it with bandages and gauze to dress a wound, rubbing alcohol for sterilization and tweezers for removing stingers and splinters--and don't forget to include a variety of powders, creams, capsules, tinctures and essential oils. These natural remedies are easy to use, fast-acting, versatile and generally inexpensive. Small enough to fit into a backpack or suitcase, they also tend to be effective over time.

Mosquitoes are usually mere annoyances, but ticks, spiders, horseflies, greeenheads, jellyfish and sea anemones can be more troublesome. Bites and stings from common insects will cause swelling and stinging at the injury site, but are usually not serious. Some spider bites, tick bites and, of course, snakebites require immediate medical attention. So do stings that cause allergic reactions and any bite or sting that induces wheezing or labored breathing.

If you've ever had an allergic reaction to a bite or sting, you should carry a prescription epinephrine kit; epinephrine is a treatment for the symptoms of bronchial asthma and allergic nasal congestion. These kits contain a pre-measured dose of medication that opens air passages and restores normal breathing. You might also want to invest in a snakebite kit with a venom extractor, a suction device that safely draws out poison from the bite wound. While these kits do buy you some time, they in no way replace professional care. While most snakes are not venomous, some varieties are poisonous and require prompt medical care.

For most bites and stings, however, home care is sufficient. As a general rule, if a bite, sting, burn or itch looks or feels strange, is exceedingly painful or seems to rapidly worsen, see a doctor.

In less troubling cases, home care is usually sufficient. To make that afternoon in the garden, day at the beach or weekend in the country more relaxing, here are some general guidelines for dealing with summer's bummers:

* If stung by a bee, wasp or hornet, look for the stinger and carefully scrape it out with a clean, sterilized knife or other sharp-edged sterilized instrument. Try to avoid pulling out the stinger, because you may squeeze it and release even more toxins into your body.

* Remove jellyfish or sea-anemone tentacles with a towel, then rinse the affected area with seawater. To soothe jellyfish stings, apply a paste of baking soda or meat tenderizer --which is not made with meat--to the affected area; it draws out the poison and will cool the sting. If stung by a Portuguese man-of-war, get to the emergency room as soon as you have washed its tentacles from your skin. Some people are extremely sensitive to the man-of-war's venom, so regard even the slightest breathing difficulty following a man-of-war sting as a medical emergency.

* If you find a tick on your body, act quickly. By removing the tick as soon as possible, you diminish the likelihood that you will contract any disease it might be carrying, such as Lyme disease or Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Never yank the tick out with your fingers; by jerking it out, you may pull out the body only, leaving its head lodged in your skin. Using tweezers, grasp the head first. Try to get the tweezers as close as possible to where the tick embedded itself, and pull back slowly, but firmly, until you've removed the little pest. If after a few days, you notice a ring around the bite area, check with your physician; the ring could indicate Lyme disease.

* Always wash any bite or sting with soap and water and then apply rubbing alcohol or vinegar to disinfect the wound. Ice or a cold compress will numb the area and reduce pain. But don't apply vinegar to jellyfish or man-of-war stings; vinegar only makes the sting worse.

* To soothe irritation and relieve itching, apply witch hazel, aloe vera gel or calendula cream. Rosemary Gladstar, founder of the California School of Herbal Studies and author of Family Herbal, recommends mixing one teaspoon of lavender oil with a tablespoon of vegetable oil. Applied directly to bites, the mixture offers a "soothing, cooling effect that works well with minor burns, too," Gladstar says.