Why nettle stings: photo, causes, benefits, first aid for burns

A lot of people are familiar with the situation when walking through grassy thickets in nature ends with the appearance of blisters on the skin, their unbearable itching and spoiled mood. This is how nettle burns, it is a well-known medicinal plant that brings only benefits with its skillful use. It is worth understanding the causes of burns and deciding on first aid methods.

Nettle contains many vitamins, trace elements and amino acids.

Why nettle burns

In order to see the nettle, the eyes are not needed, she herself will make it clear that she is nearby. No wonder it was called fire-grass, witch’s whip or green boiling water. Those who have ever been burned by nettles agree with such definitions.

In fact, the “acute” reaction of the plant is associated with a method of personal self-defense from animals that are ready to eat it. Knowing about this feature, the latter bypass the bushes, giving them the opportunity to grow, spread, quickly capturing and developing new territories.

Nettle bites or burns

The opinion that nettles burn is wrong. Its effect on human skin can be compared with mosquito bites both in terms of the main mechanism and the consequences (redness, blisters, itching).

All the leaves and stem of the plant look soft, velvety due to the hairs that densely cover them over the entire surface. This impression is misleading, since they are the reason why nettles sting and bite. When in contact with the skin, the hairs dig into it like mosquito proboscis and release substances that cause irritation.

What substance burns nettle

On the hairs of the plant are small bags, similar to capsules filled with juice with a sharp tip. At the moment of contact, the tip breaks, the contents are injected under the skin and an instant reaction is observed caused by the substances that make up the juice:

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

Histamine causes an instant allergic reaction – skin rashes in the form of blisters and redness, and formic acid burns at the point of contact with the plant.

Nettle leaves can store perishable foods

What does nettle burn look like

Burn symptoms appear immediately after contact with the plant:

1. There is an acute short pain (about 10-15 minutes).
2. Redness, swelling, fever in the affected area develops.
3. There are blisters and itching.

Sometimes nettles burn so that allergic attacks are observed, characterized by symptoms:

1. There is a general weakness.
2. The body temperature rises.
3. Shortness of breath appears.

In this case, you must urgently seek medical help from specialists. It is worth getting a doctor’s advice if a nettle burn that looks like in the photo does not go away during the day.

Nettles of some tropical species burn so that you can die from touch

What is useful to sting nettles

Not everything is so critical if contact with nettles cannot be avoided, and it burns. No wonder the plant is medicinal, has long been used in folk and official medicine for the treatment of many diseases. It is eaten, used in cosmetology. Therefore, there are benefits and positive aspects in nettle burns.

What are the benefits of nettle burns

When the tips of the capsules located on the stems and leaves pierce the skin, the blood rushes to the epidermis, the capillaries and the entire circulatory system are stimulated. This effect is often used to treat varicose veins, atherosclerosis, rheumatism, arthritis, to ensure blood flow to the right place.

The reason that the nettle burns is the presence of formic acid, which can have not only an irritating effect, but also an antiseptic, anti-inflammatory and analgesic. Choline, which is part of the juice, helps to reduce the level of bad cholesterol and strengthen cell membranes. Serotonin helps to eliminate toxins from the body.

What is harmful nettle burn for the skin

Most often, the biggest harm from burning nettles comes down to temporary discomfort, minor swelling and redness. They pass relatively quickly and do not bear any serious consequences.

Sometimes there are allergic reactions to formic acid, histamine, serotonin and choline. In this case, you will need to take antihistamine and anti-inflammatory drugs according to the dosage and regimen prescribed by the doctor.

The painful condition from a burn can last up to three days.

How to get rid of a nettle burn

If the nettle burns and itchy blisters form on the skin, this is not a reason to panic. There are many options for help at this point. It all depends on how severe the pain and redness is. You can use both folk methods proven for centuries, and medicines.

First aid for a nettle burn

If it burns strongly at the site of the lesion, then first you need to clean the surface of the skin. To do this, moisten a napkin in cold water and wipe the affected area. You can remove the hairs with an adhesive tape, which is first applied to the skin and then torn off. She will take with her the stuck tips of the capsules. Next, they are treated with hydrogen peroxide or another disinfectant solution.

The nature of first aid depends on where the person is, how badly the skin burns at the site of the lesion, and what means are available at that moment.

Outdoors

You can relieve the pain from nettle burns while in nature in one of the following ways:

1. Find leaves of plantain or sorrel, wash them, rub them in your hands and apply to the place where it burns.
2. Rinse skin with plenty of cold water.
3. Make a mud lotion, dry it and remove it so that the plant hairs are removed along with the ground.

The tips of the hairs are very sharp and are made up of silicon salt.

At home

At home, you can get rid of the burning sensation of nettles with the help of baking soda. A slurry is made from it and applied to the affected area. The powder neutralizes formic acid, inflammation subsides.

Alternatively, treatment with table vinegar and laundry soap diluted with boric or salicylic alcohol is acceptable.

The area of ​​the skin that is reddened and burns is treated with aloe juice or ice cubes made from it. Ordinary ice or any frozen product wrapped in a towel can also alleviate the condition a little.

With the help of medicines

If folk remedies do not have the desired effect and the lesion still burns, inflamed, itches, then use medicines for nettle burns:

1. Menovazin, Fenistil – antipruritic and analgesic ointments.
2. Aspirin, Paracetamol – relieves swelling and inflammation.
3. Tavegil, Suprastin, Claritin are antihistamines that can stop an allergic reaction.

The plant is used as a hemostatic, choleretic and anti-inflammatory agent.

What to do if a child is burned by nettles

The skin of a child is more sensitive than that of adults, and even at the slightest touch of nettles, it becomes inflamed and sore. Small children can scratch the affected area and injure it even more. Therefore, urgent action needs to be taken:

1. Wash skin with cold water.
2. Treat it with a solution of alcohol or vodka.
3. When blisters appear, make a lotion from a 1% solution of boric acid.
4. Put an anti-inflammatory ointment on the affected area (Bepanten, Acyclovir).

Later, the child needs to be shown the plant and explain how he got a bite from the nettle, why it burns, so that in the future the baby avoids it and does not touch it.

When should you see a doctor

Immediate medical attention is needed if a person is allergic to any of the substances contained in nettle juice. To recognize the reaction, it is necessary to observe the condition and call an ambulance in the following situations:

• difficulty breathing;
• feeling of tightness in the chest;
• swelling of the mouth, lips, tongue;
• rash spreading throughout the body;
• convulsions, vomiting, diarrhea.

It is worth contacting a pediatrician if a small child received a burn, and there is at least one of the listed symptoms.

Medical attention is needed if not only severe nettle burns are received, but an infection has occurred in which the skin burns, is inflamed and hot to the touch.

How to avoid nettle burn

Leaving for the forest, the river and the cottage, it is difficult to sit still. Playing football or just walking, you may not notice how the nettle is already burning, because you are in its thickets. In order not to have to get rid of the itching from nettles in the future, you should heed the advice:

1. Examine the clearing and mark dangerous places, throw branches or fence them with ribbons.
2. Avoid shorts and short-sleeved T-shirts in favor of clothing that covers the legs and arms.
3. Show the children a plant, explain how it burns, and describe the vividly possible consequences of contact with it.
4. Bring first aid supplies with you.

Dioecious nettle grows up to 2 m in height and forms dense thickets

What to do so that the nettle does not burn

Nettle is considered an excellent fertilizer; an infusion is made from it, which is used to feed garden crops. The plant is used for food, preparing salads, first courses, vitamin seasonings. Its medicinal properties are widely known.

To harvest raw materials, you must act carefully, as the nettle burns. However, if you carefully grasp the stem, pressing the hairs, they will not do any harm. During cooking, the leaves are quickly doused with boiling water and rinsed with cold water, after which it does not burn the hands.

Conclusion

There is nothing wrong with the fact that the nettle burns – it is a reaction of the plant’s self-preservation. Most often, the burns inflicted by them are minor and quickly pass. You should not be afraid of them, but you need to start worrying only if an allergic reaction is observed.