Since we were little we were taught that sea water disinfects and allows to heal small wounds. Here is the truth. A small cut, an insect or jellyfish sting, a thorn under the foot: since we were children we were told that these and other small wounds could heal with sea water alone.
This would therefore have disinfectant properties, but is it true or is this just a false myth that we have believed since childhood? Here is the truth.
Does Seawater Really Disinfect? Here’s the Truth
When on vacation in the summer, it is not uncommon for adults or children to get small wounds such as cuts, insect bites, thorns and so on. When this happens, people often resort to “home” remedies to soothe the pain and heal. One of these remedies is sea water.
But does sea water really disinfect? This is the mystery to be solved because for many it seems that sea water and salt can solve any small problem. But this is not always the case. Giovanni Papa, president of the Italian Association of Skin Ulcers ETS (AIUC), director of the Department of Plastic Surgery at Cattinara Hospital explains that in reality the sea and non-solar rays have no healing effect. They are just clichés that, at best, do neither good nor harm. At worst, however, they can even cause damage and compromise the entire vacation.
So in fact, according to the specialist, it is not true that sea water really disinfects. In fact, if applied to an open wound, it can actually increase the risk of infections from microorganisms, causing even serious consequences (bacterial infections, bone and joint infections. This risk increases if the wound was caused by a fragile subject, for example with diabetes, immunosuppression or liver disease. Not only does sea water not disinfect, but salt also does not speed up healing (as is often mistakenly thought).
Excessive exposure to the sun can instead cause hyperpigmentation of the skin, that is, the appearance of spots on the part of the skin where the wounds are located. Therefore, it is advisable to cover the wounds rather than exposing them to the sun’s rays. Rather than sea water (which apparently does not disinfect) and the sun, it is possible to disinfect the wounds obtained on vacation using disinfectant, plasters or sterile gauze. To speed up the healing process, instead, you can use ointments, sprays or gauze based on wheat extract, which promotes healing.
Wheat extract actually creates a protection on the wound to prevent the loss of fluids. Therefore, it is necessary to abandon the old belief that sea water disinfects and use conventional methods recommended by the doctor to heal small and large wounds that can be obtained on vacation faster, so as not to ruin it.
