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~ Poison Ivy ~ Poison Oak ~ Stinging Nettles ~ Sunburn ~ Bee Stings ~ Mosquito Bites ~
Weve all experienced the painful bites and stings and burns that can turn a family picnic or a long hike in the mountains on a beautiful summer day into a miserable experience. But those warm summer months are meant to be enjoyed. So dont let these common summertime ailments keep you from enjoying the outdoors. Take preventive measures whenever possible, but keep these handy remedies in mind for those occasions when you do find yourself covered in a rash or insect bites.
The following sections offer only a few home remedies that provide quick relief of some of these common summertime ailments. When possible, Ive featured remedies from helpful chefs who have posted their recipes on Recipezaar. But please feel free to post your tried-and-true home remedies for these, and any other, common summertime ailments and afflictions.
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~ Poison Ivy ~
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Poison ivy is actually not a true ivy plant. It is found throughout much of North America, including all states in the U.S. (except Alaska). It is predominately found in wooded areas, open fields, and rocky areas. It rarely grows at altitudes above 5000 feet (1500 meters). But the plant can be a wide-spreading groundcover or as a shrub up to 4 feet (1.2 meters) tall. All parts of the plant (leaves, roots, stems and fruit) of poison ivy can cause a painful, blistering and itchy skin rash.
Poison Ivy has almond-shaped leaves that grow in a ternate pattern or arranged in groups of three leaflets that grow together. There is an old adage if it grows in threes, let it be
which applies to both poison ivy
and poison oak.
Home remedies found on Recipezaar for relief of Poison Ivy
~ Healing Poison Ivy Rashes, Insect Bites With Banana Peel (by
~Rita~)
~ Poison Ivy Rash Relief (by
mama's kitchen)
Did you know - People who are sensitive to poison ivy can experience a similar rash from mangoes (as the skin of the mango contains a chemical compound similar to the irritant urishiol in poison ivy that that causes skin reactions for some people).
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~Poison Oak ~
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Poison Oak is similar to poison ivy in that it grows in a ternate pattern in which the leaves appear in groups of three leaflets that grow together. Also like Poison Ivy, direct contact with the urishiol oil on Poison Oak leaves can cause a swollen, red rash that is painful and itchy. Your best combative measure is to avoid Poison Oak entirely. But if you do find that you have touched it, washing the affected area well with soap and water within 15 minutes of exposure can eliminate or reduce the rash. If you do end up with a rash, some remedies are listed below.
~ Milk of Magnesia or Calamine lotion (which can be purchased at department or drug stores) applied with a clean cotton ball or disposable cloth will help relieve the itching. You can also buy a zinc oxide ointment (zinc oxide is the main ingredient in calamine lotion).
~ If the rash has become blistering, make a paste out of baking soda and water. Apply the paste directly to the skin, and this will help dry it up (but it probably won't relieve the itching).
~ Applying an ice cube or cold running water over the affected area also brings relief. Ice cold milk also works to soothe the itch and also helps dry the rash.
~ Oatmeal bath granules purchased as a drug store can help to soothe the itching.
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~ Stinging Nettles ~
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Stinging nettles grow to between 3 to 7 feet (1 to 2 meters) tall in the summer, then tend to die down to the ground in the winter. The soft green leaves are 1 to 6 inches (3 to 15 cm) long on a wiry green stem. The leaves can be recognized by their strongly serrated edges on the leaves. The leaves and stems are very hairy with non-stinging and stinging hairs. When touched, the tips come off, transforming the hair into a needle that will inject a mixture of chemical compounds that cause an intense sting which can last from only a few minutes to as long as a week.
~ To stop the sting of a nettle rash, prepare a thick paste from baking soda and water. Smear the paste on the infected region, and leave it on for a few minutes after which you will want to rinse if off and rinse the infected area with cold running water for a few minutes.
~ Administering anti-inflammatory creams and lotions (such as hydrocortisone) can help to reduce the pain and itch of nettle stings.
~ Many people have found that warm mud packs placed over the stinging areas can reduce some of the itching.
~ Hot water bath rinses can often provide relief to nettle stings.
~ Immediately upon contact with the stinging nettle plant, apply a generous amount of your saliva over the infected area, and later follow-up with a water/baking soda paste if necessary.
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~ Sunburn ~
Sunburn is the burning of live tissue such as skin produced by the overexposure to untraviolet (UV) sunrays. Scientific studies reveal that the long-term effects of sunburns can lead to DNA damage and other conditions including non-malignant skin tumors and malignant melanoma, one of the more common skin cancers.
The best sunburn prevention is to limit your time in direct sunlight, always wear protective clothing (such as hats, sunglasses), and
always use a sun-block with a Sun Protective Factor (SPF) of 30 or 45.
But despite best efforts, sun worshipers can still find themselves treating a sunburn. Here are a few home remedies for treating sunburns.
~ ~ Applying aloe directly over the sunburn provides relief for several minutes to a few hours
~ ~ Over-the-counter Noxzema cream. The cold cream will cool down the heat of the burn, and the active ingredients will provide temporary relief for a few hours. Re-apply as needed.
~ ~ Sunburn Relief (by
~Rita~)
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~ Bee Stings ~
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(intended for treating bee stings for people
without allergies)
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Bee stings can cause painful, swollen and red, itchy welts on the skin.
If the person is allegic, seek immediate medical attention. Otherwise, swift attention can often keep the discomfort to a minimum.
Once the bee sting has occurred, you first must find the stinger. Look for a raised red welt on the skin. Now look very carefully for a small black dot in the center of the welt, it will look rather like a very tiny splinter. After you have quickly located the stinger, pull it out as quickly as possible using either tweezers, or use a stiff, flat object (such as a credit card) to scrape out the stinger. This is imperative to get the stinger to quit pumping venom into your system.
Next, you will first want to wash the area gently with soap and water, if available. If you are not near soap and water, see if someone has a first aid kit. If so you can use an alcohol swab to sterilize the sting area.
The following home remedies help to provide temporary relief of the pain, itching and swelling associated with bee and wasp stings:
~ Caladryl lotion is often effective in soothing the pain and itch of a bee sting.
~ A paste made from vinegar, baking soda and meat tenderizer will fizz like a bubbling Alka Seltzer on your skin, but it will provide hours of relief from the unpleasant symptoms of a bee sting.
~ Toothpaste (the white kind, not the translucent gels) applied to the bee sting will tingle and reduce the far majority of the pain and itching left from a bee sting.
~ Ice! Yes, the trusty old-fashioned remedy of applying ice packs to the site of the bee sting is still considered one of the most effective treatments for reducing the pain, swelling, and itching of bee stings.
~ Bee or Wasp Sting Soother (by
Little Mommy)
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~ Mosquito Bites ~
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The first step in mosquito management is to keep bird baths, plant urns and other areas free of collecting rain water and sprinkler run-off. Mosquitoes are attracted to water and will gather around bird baths and other water collection sties.
Also, wear light colored clothing as mosquitoes are attracted to dark clothing.
Keep your body covered as much as possible (including wearing a hat). Although mosquitoes can find their way through the fabric, keeping your body covered tends to cut down on bites
One preventive measure is to rub citronella oil to exposed skin areas to help reduce the number of mosquitoes that will hover near you, therefore reducing the possibility of getting bitten.
~ Mosquito Bite Relief (by
WI Cheesehead)
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