I've ben stung by a nettle and I can't find a dock leaf! What do I do?

Question

I've ben stung by a nettle and I can't find a dock leaf! What do I do?

Answer 1

I get stung by nettles all the time as I work outside alot, I just tend to ignore it and before you know it - it will stop stinging

Answer 2

anthisan cream from the chemist.

Answer 3

Rub malt vinegar on the sting - sure fire cure :o)

Answer 4

That stuff is really wicked.   Go to the drugstore and ask the druggist.

Answer 5

Put perfume on it,it gets rid of the white bubble and kills the poison.Most people say it would hurt or sting,thats only on open wounds the perfume has special chemicals to kill of the germs an'all.

Answer 6

Run it under the cold tap.  It works a lot better than a dock leaf.

Answer 7

Get your boyfriend to l**k the area - seriously...spit helps too.

Answer 8

dab vinegar on it

Answer 9

The nettles pierce the skin depositing their irritants under the skin and smear across the skin's surface. The surface irritants can be removed but treating the subcutaneous irritants is much harder without medication. These folk cures are all surface treatments that will be more effective if the nettles did not penetrate the skin much.

One active irritant in the nettle is formic acid, and this is what causes the pain. Treating it with a weak base will neutralize it but only on the skin surface. Make a paste of Baking Soda and water and gently cover the area.

If nothing else the formic acid is easily removed from the skins surface with soap and water. The problem is the nettle hairs are fine hollow spines that pierce the skin leaving the mix of irritants under the skin.

Saliva contains digestion enzymes that will help neutralize the irritants but only those on the surface.

The reason the dock leaf works is the leaf sap is slightly basic to neutralize the surface formic acid. Rumex obtusifolius or the common name Broadleaf dock or butter dock is the usual one to use. However any alkaline plant sap will do the same to the acid on the skins surface.

Another active ingredient in the nettle is histamine. This causes the itching. The best treatment for this is a sting kill or antihistamine. Ice or cold water will help reduce the itching.

A third active ingredient is serotonin.

The reason to use mud or clay is that soil is mostly neutral in pH and clay may be alkaline to neutralize the sting. It will also keep it cool to slow the reaction. However some soil is acidic so will not counter the formic acid. This is mostly true in places with high rain fall & very sandy soil.

Dr Glover from Cambridge talks about nettle stings

http://www.thenakedscientists.com/HTML/c...

Answer 10

e45 cream works a charm

Answer 11

Dock leaves don't do much (efficient) for nettles; they're usually only effective as a placebo. You could also for a doctor What you can use is jewelweed (touch-me-not); it works really great on poison ivy is  and similar (including nettles), and also against sunburnt and it won't too it. All you have to do is squeeze the stems. The Indians have used it for centuries, and it's one of the best plants for skin remedy. She patented it so. Here are some pictures of jewelweed:

http://www.gardensandnature.com/wildflow...

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:...

If this isn't enough, you could also try aloe vera, or vinegar like he just said. Stick to the fresh plants if at all possible, they're much more effective that storebought products.

Answer 12

whatever you do, do not scratch it.

Answer 13

Dock leaves dont actually help anyhting- they are a placebo invented by our parents to take our minds off the sting while looking for one. d**n the parents! Anyway, some savalon will do you much better. Good Luck

Answer 14

Vinager.

http://www.nhm.ac.uk/nature-online/life/...