Summer Health Myths – Busted!

Though it may sound convenient – if also totally gross! – urine hasn’t been proven to curb the hurt.

What has: vinegar. “Its acidity is believed to inactivate the stingers and diminish the pain,” says emergency-medicine specialist Dr Paul Auerbach, author of Medicine for the Outdoors.

Soak a paper towel in household white vinegar and hold it on the wound for about 30 minutes. Afterwards, use an OTC hydrocortisone cream to quell any itching. (If, however, you start to feel dizzy or nauseated or develop any kind of rash, you may be having an allergic reaction and should get yourself to a doctor right away, says Auerbach.) If a bluebottle stings you, stay away from the vinegar, warns Simone Neethling, research assistant at the Department of Botany and Zoology at Stellenbosch University. She recommends warm water (no hotter than 40°C) to provide relief.