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The nettle burn of a child and an adult: benefit or harm

 
, medical expert
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
 
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When staying in nature, the risk of getting a burn from plants that cause skin irritation is quite high. One of these plants is nettle. But it should be noted that practice shows that if there is no allergy to such damage, the nettle burn is not dangerous for a person. If you know how to act when getting such a trauma, to eliminate discomfort and prevent consequences will not be difficult.

Is the nettle useful?

Having received a nettle burn, do not worry, because it can even benefit the body. Such burns contribute to the improvement of blood circulation, weaken various inflammations, and in addition act as a preventive agent against diseases such as rheumatism or arthritis. Therefore, people often even specifically grow nettles at home, using her young sprouts to improve their health.

Causes The nettle burn of a child and an adult: benefit or harm

What is the reason for the nettle? This is the protective mechanism of this plant, with the help of which it tries to protect itself from possible eating of herbivores. On its leaves and stems there are special burning villi of pointed form with a small sac at the base. As a result of any impact, the tip of this villi pierces the skin, and the contents of the pouch pass through the piercing into the skin, provoking the appearance of a burn in the place of contact. Cellular juice of nettle contains several elements that have irritating properties:

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

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

Symptoms The nettle burn of a child and an adult: benefit or harm

Direct contact with the plant causes an instantaneous skin reaction. The first sign is a sharp pain, usually disappearing on its own after 5-10 minutes. Further on the burned site, the temperature increases, redness arises, and in addition a small edema. Itching begins, and on the skin are formed characteristic burns with nettle blisters.

Blisters after nettle burn

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

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Nettle burn in children

Since the skin of children due to their age does not yet have an effective protective barrier, they are more vulnerable to burns - their delicate and sensitive nettle skin damages much more. The burned areas turn red and start to itch, and children (especially very small ones) may not realize that it is impossible to comb the wounds - as a result, the pain sensations become even stronger, causing the baby even more discomfort. Therefore, it is necessary to prevent such a development in advance, quickly helping the child - you can use both medicines and alternative medicine methods for this.

Complications and consequences

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

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

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Diagnostics The nettle burn of a child and an adult: benefit or harm

In case of an allergic reaction to a nettle burn, the symptoms may differ slightly from the usual clinical picture, so a laboratory and diagnostic examination 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 reveal the accumulation of specific antibodies in it that are related to IgE immunoglobulins. The results of such an analysis allow to determine the form of the disease and to select the specificity of further treatment.

Rash is like a nettle burn

Appearing on any part of the body, rashes on the skin, similar to a nettle burn, are one of the symptoms of urticaria - a common skin disease. Among its other manifestations are the following:

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

Usually, such blisters do not stick to the skin for more than 12 hours, but after a while they may appear on another part of the body.

When such a rash occurs once or only occurs intermittently (with a maximum of 6 weeks from the time of its first occurrence), it means that it is an acute form of the disease.

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

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Treatment The nettle burn of a child and an adult: benefit or harm

When an allergic reaction to a burn occurs, timely treatment is necessary. Help a person need as quickly as possible, because you can not tolerate the aggravation of allergies. First, treat the burn using apple cider vinegar or salicylic acid (a weak solution) - this will remove pain and other allergic symptoms. Then immediately call an ambulance.

Medications

To eliminate the symptoms of nettle burn, you can use Menovasin. This is quite an effective tool, besides it's quite inexpensive. The drug contains racemetol, which helps to weaken the itching and has an analgesic effect on the burned parts of the skin.

To avoid the symptoms of allergies, you need to take antihistamines - they include drugs such as diazolin, suprastin, tavegil, and in addition claritin.

To treat a burn, a highly effective La Cree cream is suitable for a child or a person with sensitive skin. It contains exclusively natural substances, effectively eliminates the symptoms of nettle burn, and besides it facilitates the rapid restoration of the skin. Also this cream has good moisturizing and nutritional properties. La Cree will help in a short time to remove unpleasant manifestations from the burn, and besides it will provide sensitive regenerating skin with reliable protection.

Menovazine 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. Contraindication to the use of the drug is the individual intolerance of novocaine.

Suprastin should be drunk 2-3 times a day with food (the dosage is 0.025 g). In case of severe course of the disease, a 2% solution in / in or in / m (1-2 ml) is administered to the patient. Dosage for children is a quarter, 1/3 or half of the pill 2-3 times a day (a more accurate dose is determined according to the age of the child). Among the side effects is a feeling of general weakness, as well as drowsiness. Contraindications to admission are such diseases as prostatic hypertrophy and glaucoma.

Alternative treatment

There are quite a few alternative methods of treating a burn from nettle. They very effectively cope with the redness, itching and blisters that appear as a result of contact with this plant. But before applying these recipes, you must first clean the burned area from burning hairs, as they will continue to irritate the skin.

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

  • wet a piece of clean cloth with icy water, and then with gentle movements remove dust and dirt from the injured skin;
  • then attach to this place an adhesive tape or other adhesive tape, after which it is carefully peeled off from the affected surface - together with it the villi of the plant also disconnect;
  • if you do not have a sticky tape at hand, you need to mix a bit of ground with water and apply the resulting gruel to a burn. Then wait for the drying of the mud, and remove it, thus cleansing the skin of burning villi;
  • after completing the procedure for the removal of villi, you need to disinfect the skin. To do this, use such means - camphor, boric or salicylic alcohol or a solution of hydrogen peroxide. Soaked in the medicine with a cotton swab or bandage, you need to treat the affected area.

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

Effective impact in this case and a compress of clay. In addition, it is possible to wipe the burn site with any available alcohol solution or ordinary vodka. This procedure will quickly remove the irritating toxic substance from the skin.

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Herbal Treatment

The curative effects of nettle burns are also provided by medicinal herbs - such as, for example, aloe vera. Its pulp and juice have powerful anti-inflammatory properties, which allows them to quickly eliminate irritation.

You should also pay attention to the plants growing next to the nettle - such as plantain, horse or curled sorrel, as well as common horsetail and balsam. It should be torn off from any of them leaflets, then rinse it with water, knead until the juice is obtained, and then attach to the burn for several minutes. Within 30 minutes the symptoms should be relaxed.

To remove irritation with itching, the nettle root is often used as well. Made from it gruel you need to treat the burn place.

Forecast

The nettle burn has a favorable prognosis. When fast and correct first aid is provided, the burn symptoms soon disappear, without negative consequences. Complications can occur if a person has an allergy to nettles, or there is an extensive burn, but in this case, timely access to a doctor and promptly provided help will help to eliminate the threat to health.

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