Nettle stings suppose to be healthy, right?

Do you remember when you got a nettle sting your parents tried to comfort you by saying, “At least you’ll be healthy.” Is it just a consolation, or is it based on truth? In this article, we have tried to uncover what has been said about nettles for decades. And what did we find out?

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A nettle sting fights rheumatism

The saying goes that nettle stings can prevent rheumatism. Surprisingly, this statement is based on the real thing called a derivative therapy, which is used in professional treatment to create an intentional congestion in the skin through excessive blood flow. This drains the blood, which is excessively present around the affected joints, and causes relief. If you get a nettle sting your skin gets irritated and congested with blood. However, experts do not use nettle for treatment and do not recommend people to do so.

Treatment used in the past

Nettle will not cure rheumatism, but you can still use it to treat other problems. For example, nettle has a positive effect on your heart: it lowers blood pressure and increases the iron content in the blood. It is commonly used to reduce bleeding and many people use nettles to prepare a bath to help them with haemorrhoids. Nettle bath can speed up the healing process and for example, a nettle shampoo will keep your hair healthy. Nettle also helps you to fight urinary tract infections and prevents kidney stones. Although it may cause allergies in some people (not suitable for people with hay fever), it is also effective in fighting other allergies and skin eczemas. Basically, nettle has been used for medical purposes since the beginning of time.

How do we fight nettle stings?

If you want to mitigate the burning sensation caused by nettles, you may use several ways to do it. Best is to try the natural approach first. Use herbs such as mint, rosemary or sorrel (Rumex acetosa). Apply crushed leaves to the burned area and that is it. If you have a cream for insect bites, you can use it too, or you can wash the affected area with soap and water to dilute the substance.

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