Vinegar Paste Benefits And Home Remedies For Sting Treatment

An insect bite is not uncommon and if the sting is poisonous, you need to be really cautious while treating it. Insect bites cause severe pain which is accompanied with a burning sensation. The affected area becomes swollen and red. Sometimes the pain is really unbearable.

The pain and burning sensation is due to the poisonous fluid or venom which is injected through the sting. Since the venoms from different insects is chemically different in nature, it is necessary to identify the insect that has stung you.
In general, the venom from most insects are either alkaline or acidic. For example, the venom from a bee’s sting is acidic in nature, whereas the venom from a wasp’s sting is alkaline. It should be noted that the pain or burning sensation is not caused solely due to the acidic or alkaline component of the venom only. There are many other active ingredients in the venom that cause rashes and swelling at the site of the sting.

There are several home remedies that people use in case of an insect bite. Some popular remedies include rubbing a copper coin common salt on the wound. A paste made from vinegar and baking soda paste is considered as one of the most effective home remedies for insect stings. Vinegar is acidic in nature and baking soda contains alkaline compounds. If the insect venom contains acid, it will be neutralized by the baking soda and if the venom contains alkalis, it will be neutralized by vinegar.

Before applying the vinegar and baking soda paste, you should take following steps:

• Do not rub the wound as it may result in the sting penetrating deeper inside the skin. The sting venom will also spread over a wider area, resulting in more pain.
• Take the sting out with the help of a forceps. Be careful while extracting the sting, as all stings do not penetrate vertically. For example, a bee sting is inserted in the skin at an angle of nearly 45 degrees.
• Cleanse the wound with an antiseptic lotion.
• Apply the vinegar and baking soda paste on the wound and rub it gently for a few minutes. To prepare the vinegar paste, add two teaspoonfuls of baking soda and two tablespoonfuls of vinegar.
• The application of vinegar and baking soda paste is very effective against insect bites and you should get relief from the pain and burning sensation within ten minutes. If the pain persists or if you feel giddy, you should immediately consult a physician.