Itch/Rash Reduction Straight from Your Kitchen

Summer is a time of rashes and other itchy irritants. Whether it’s a run-in with poison ivy or its relatives, or its insect bites and stings, this is the prime time of year for them. Even grass and vegetable plants can create enough itchiness to drive you up the wall.

If you want to avoid the plants that cause the itching, you need to know which plants can cause the itching and how to recognize them. Two garden plants that can cause contact dermatitis (itchy skin) are tomatoes and corn. In the "wild," poison ivy, oak and sumac can be a big problem. The old saying "leaves of three, leave it be" is correct, but there is a problem with that. Blackberries also have "leaves of three." Get someone to show you which plant is which if you are out in the woods.

Does someone already have a rash, bite or sting? Never fear, you probably have everything you need in your kitchen right now. For rashes that come from grass and vegetable gardens, a bath with corn starch in the water may be the most soothing thing you can do. Baking soda will also work, and may be stronger.

A poison ivy rash may be more difficult to deal with, because you don’t want the oil to spread, making the rash bigger. Make sure all clothing that has touched the plant is washed in hot water, and carefully do the same to the affected area. When that’s done, a paste of baking soda and water can be applied. For severe cases or if the rash is intolerable, see your doctor. You may need something stronger to deal with it.

There are several different type of insects that can cause trouble in the summer. Mosquitoes come to mind first, and they are a nuisance. Not only do the bites itch, but they can carry diseases. Prevention is the best bet, but difficult to do. One method is to use a lot of marjoram in your cooking. This causes sweat to smell bad, and mosquitoes (not to mention other bugs) don’t like it. Garlic can also be used, but it might be hard on your social life. Once bitten, a paste of corn starch or baking soda may ease some of the itching.

The sting of bees, wasps, etc. can be helped with that paste. Place it over the sting to help draw out the venom from the insect. Soaking the affected area in warm salt water may help relieve the pain and swelling. Be careful with stings, as it is possible to have an allergic reaction, even if you’ve never had a reaction before. Should the swelling become severe, see your doctor. Should respiratory symptoms or change in consciousness occur, call 911.

Oats may be useful for all of the above. Place them in cheesecloth and tie the bag, the put it into the bath tub and run the bath. You can also make a paste of the oatmeal and put it directly on the rash, bite or sting.

All of the above methods for itch reduction may be useful for cases of chicken pox and other illnesses that cause itchy skin. In fact, when our daughters had chicken pox, they practically lived in the bath tub to keep from itching.

There are several over the counter preparations that may be useful when dealing with rashes and stings. Most of them contain camphor and/or menthol. These may be very useful for most people, but it is possible to develop an allergy to them. If the rash gets bigger or gets worse, stop using the product and see your doctor.

Summer can be great fun, and with these helpful tips, the nuisances of rashes, bites and stings can be made more tolerable.

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