FALSE: There is no evidence that onions can help cure scorpion bites
FALSE: There is no evidence that onions can help cure scorpion stings
Onions are somewhat effective in reducing inflammation, but they would not help to treat a sting by a venomous scorpion
A Facebook post claiming that onions can cure a scorpion sting is FALSE.
The post, shared on the Facebook group ‘Herbs Remedies International’, states that following a scorpion sting, the victim should tie the affected part off so that the poison does not reach the chest. Additionally, they should get an onion, cut it in half, and apply it to the affected part, which will relieve someone of the pain instantly.
However, there is no scientific evidence to support the use of onions to cure stings by venomous scorpions.
While onions contain antioxidants and compounds that fight inflammation, the United States Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) does not acknowledge this as a first aid remedy for treating scorpion stings.
WebMD recommends putting ice on the area to bring down the swelling, and taking an antihistamine or using a hydrocortisone cream to ease inflammation and itching. The recommended response is to go to an emergency room, and to kill and carry the scorpion along if possible to help in identification and facilitate treatment.
While onions have been known to reduce inflammation caused by bee and wasp stings when applied to the injury, they are not effective against scorpion stings. For example, the bark scorpion does not cause swelling and inflammation at the site of the sting, and so inflammation is not the concern.
Not all scorpion stings are fatal or cause allergic reactions. Death from scorpion stings rarely occur in adults but can be dangerous, especially if they cause numbness or tingling, blurry vision or muscle twitches within the first two to four hours after the sting.
Symptoms usually subside within 48 hours, although stings from a bark scorpion or from the Indian red scorpion, the world’s deadliest scorpion, can be life-threatening.
PesaCheck has looked into a Facebook post claiming that onions can cure a scorpion sting and finds it to be FALSE.
This post is part of an ongoing series of PesaCheck fact-checks examining content marked as potential misinformation on Facebook and other social media platforms.
By partnering with Facebook and similar social media platforms, third-party fact-checking organisations like PesaCheck are helping to sort fact from fiction. We do this by giving the public deeper insight and context to posts they see in their social media feeds.
Have you spotted what you think is fake news or false information on Facebook? Here’s how you can report. And, here’s more information on PesaCheck’s methodology for fact-checking questionable content.
This fact-check was written by PesaCheck Fact-Checker Pius Enywaru and edited by PesaCheck Deputy Editor Enock Nyariki.
The article was approved for publication by PesaCheck Managing Editor Eric Mugendi.
PesaCheck is East Africa’s first public finance fact-checking initiative. It was co-founded by Catherine Gicheru and Justin Arenstein, and is being incubated by the continent’s largest civic technology and data journalism accelerator: Code for Africa. It seeks to help the public separate fact from fiction in public pronouncements about the numbers that shape our world, with a special emphasis on pronouncements about public finances that shape government’s delivery of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) public services, such as healthcare, rural development and access to water / sanitation. PesaCheck also tests the accuracy of media reportage. To find out more about the project, visit pesacheck.org.
PesaCheck is an initiative of Code for Africa, through its innovateAFRICA fund, with support from Deutsche Welle Akademie, in partnership with a coalition of local African media and other civic watchdog organisations.