Itch-a-dveza samut.. Chiggers?

[Tarun]

Natural Health Tip of the Day

Monday May 27, 2002

Another Chigger Remedy

After my tip on treating the horrible itch of chiggers, Jeri Ludwig wrote in with this remedy from a friend's grandmother. Melt bacon grease in an iron skillet.

Hold it right there! What did u say? What kinda grease?

Sir Francis Bacon's namesake!? Can we find a substitute?

Sorry for interrupting.

Add enough regular table salt to make a paste. Use a Q-tip to dab this mixture on your chigger bites. Reportedly two treatments are enough to give you relief. And this is another great reason to store that leftover bacon grease in the refrigerator!

- Carla Joy

Well, we wouldn't be using that sort of grease now, would we?

However, there is a precedent.

On a morning walk or room conversation, SP stated:

"The goat is boiled alive in ghee. Good medicine for typhoid. It can save the whole village!"

PuSTa-KRSNa was surprised to hear this adding:

"PrabhupAd, maybe we should refrain from inroducing this remedy in the West."

EMAZING Quote of the Day

It was as if someone had dropped an ocelot on the table between them.

- Harlan Ellison

[Tarun]

I had never ever heard of chiggers before, but when I read the word "itch" that GItA zloka came to mind:

iccha-dveSa samutthena, dvandva mohena bhArata

English "itch" obviously comes from SanskRt's "iccha"

[Guest guest]

Is there anything on the market that will kill chiggers? Can you get rid of them?

[Tarun]

and what to speak of curing? What's a good substi for bacon grease? corn oil? Try it. Can't hurt. Or ask your local healthfood store for advice.

[Guest guest]

WHAT SHOULD I USE TO GET RID OF THEM?

[Guest guest]

I read through the internet that putting an antiseptic like alcohol on the spot will kill the insect although the itch will still continue for a few days. It seemed to work for me.

[Guest guest]

i find rubbing oatmeal soap on the chigger bite works.

steve

[Guest guest]

I decided to go on a picnic.. and foolishly neglected to apply the OFF i had sitting in my picnic basket. I'm now covered in Chigger bites.. 38 of them to be exact. I spent alot of time researching chiggers and learned alot about them.. I devoted alot of time.. and itching to experimenting in itch releif and wanted to share in hopes that someone might be less miserable as a result of my findings:

 

over the counter drugs and home supplies i tried

________________

[:-|]Hydrocortisone.. 1% cream-

creams.. my itch laughed at the attempt..

Releif?? - Minimal if anything

 

[:-|]Baking Soda Paste.. -

[:-|]MEssy ..My itch was somewhat releived

Releif?? - Minimal

 

[:-|]Salt Paste .. -

Messy .. My itch was aggravated

Releif?? - Worse

 

[:-|]Oxy .. 10% Benzoyl Peroxide-

NO change

Releif?? - No difference

 

[:-|]Orajel .. Benzocaine 20% -

Feels COol Little change

Releif?? - A little.. maybe

 

[:|]St Ives Cucumber Eye Stress Gel-

[:|]Feels cool.. low to moderate releif

Releif?? - Moderate

 

[:-|]Sooth-A-Caine Aloe Spray Gel-

Feels cool.. Almost No releif

Releif?? - Very little (great on sunburns tho!)

 

[:|]Chiggerex 2% Benzocaine-

[:|]cream blends well, thin paste is easy to use feels cool on application..

Releif?? - Moderate to low

 

[:-)]Lanacane 20% Benzocaine, also antimicrobal-

Provided Moderate Releif and also acts as antibiotic to prevent secondary infection from scratching

Releif?? - About 50-60% Releif

 

[:-|]Benadryl Itch Releif Stick- Diphendhydramine HCL 2% Zinc Acetate 0.1%-

Stick sounds like a great concept.. but you can't get much juice out of the applicator tip..

Releif??- almost None

 

[:-D]Aveeno 100% Oatmeal bath-[:-D]

the idea is to soak in a warm bath until your fingers start wrinkling and pruing.. (45min?) the bath has the same effect with or without the oatmeal i've found.. but either way you get about 80% itch releif for about 2 hours after the bath, esp if you use a product following the bath.. skip the Aveeno .. you'll probably just do fine with a warm bath

 

[:-D]Bandaid Brand Calamine spray-[:-D]

This is It.. this is my god send.. caladryl.. that messy pink liquid mom probably used on your chicken pox only has 2% Calamine.. Chiggerex only has 2% Benzocaine.. but this stuff has 14.5% Calamine.. and 5.25% Benzocaine plus a bit of camphor.. the spray keeps you from having to apply messy creams.. (and you know touching em makes em itch more!) and feels really cool on contact.. easy to use.. it does rub a powder off a bit and makes you look spray painted.. but the releif it offers is about 98% itch releif

 

Summary- if you have intense itch from chiggers.. maybe even poison oak.. poison ivy.. and you need intense itch releif?? Bandaid Calamine Spray feels cool.. is easy to apply.. dries quickly.. dries up weepy rashes and sores and provides the best releif i've found so far over the counter.. esp when combined with a nice warm soaking bath!

 

 

[][]

[Tarun]

pimple, wart, blister, scab...

Pleae describe in more depth & detail

[ladyjane]

Chigger bites resemble misquito bites at first. Thennnnnnnnn comes the itch. Plus they bite in some of the most embarassing places!!!!!! Unscratchable in public. lol For some good info on them go to http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/2100.html Has info on killing them and treating bites!! My favorite is Benzodent (i know it is a denture cream!!) but gives me releif longer then anything else -it is 20%benzocaine. Which is more than actual chigger medications have and i get some sleep this way. My fallback is clear fingernail polish when i don't have benzodent.