Soothe Insect Bites with an Onion

June 5 2009, 8:53pm

Going outdoors sometimes has its disadvantages, one being bitten by insects. One quick remedy to ease the pain and swelling of the bite is applying a cut onion on it. “We first heard about using a cut onion on a sting about 20 years ago. We checked with world-renowned onion chemist Dr. Eric Block of the State University of New York at Albany. He agreed that a fresh-cut onion might ease the pain of an insect sting because an ingredient in onions breaks down the chemicals responsible for inflammation and discomfort. Other readers have used fresh onion juice to soothe the pain from a minor kitchen burn.” [Los Angeles Times | Cut onion may ease pain of bee sting] It’s still best to have the insect bite seen by a medical professional, but this quick and easy solution can make the commute to the clinic more bearable. Technorati Tags: insect, bite, relief, onion