'Nettle stings have cured my hayfever'

A Bath mum claims deliberately stinging herself with nettles every day has cured her hay fever-relieving her symptoms in as little as 10 minutes.

- Neil Shaw [e-mail]

Rebecca Pullin says she has suffered from a pollen allergy for the last decade and every summer has to put up with irritated eyes, a sore throat and drowsiness.

But when her mum Beverly Stickley, 68, suggested she tried stinging herself with a nettle after seeing a post about it online, the mum-of-two decided to give it a go. On a dog walk in April this year, the 38-year-old proceeded to rub the plant on her arm, which caused 10 itchy bumps to develop on her skin.

At first Rebecca says she thought nothing of it, but after repeating the 'natural' remedy four days in a row she claims it had relieved her hay fever symptoms.

The dog walker says now whenever she wakes up and feels lethargic, she stings herself with a nettle sometimes every day and claims her pollen allergy symptoms disappear in as little as 10 minutes.

Stinging nettles contain histamine and due to this it is believed that the plant can be used as a potential natural antihistamine and inflammatory. Rebecca is now sharing her 'natural' treatment method in the hopes it helps other people suffering with hay fever this year.