Herbal Treatment for Poison Ivy

Be careful on that pleasant woodland walk or even working in the yard because touching a three-leafed plant may result in disagreeable consequences. Poison ivy grows throughout North America and contains a substance called urushiol, which can cause an allergic reaction if it contacts the skin. The reaction may be merely mild redness. However, it often manifests in an itchy rash, sending the victim on a search for anything that can provide relief.

Herbal Poison Ivy Treatments

• Most people who come into contact with poison ivy do so because they do not recognize the three-leafed plant, but seasoned naturalists can inadvertently contact the vegetation as well. The plant may be touched or even picked while gathering wood for a campfire or raking leaves in the backyard. And burning the plant also can cause problems because burning does not destroy urushiol. Particles of the substance are carried into the air with the smoke and can be distributed onto people or items in the vicinity. This can be particularly insidious as the rash generally will not develop immediately, and the recipient may not realize the presence of the contaminant and may accidentally contaminate other parts of the body or other people. The rash generally will not appear until after 12 hours but can take up to three days. The rash is not contagious, but urushiol can contaminate until it is neutralized.

  The objectives of any poison ivy treatment is to neutralize the urushiol to keep the infection from spreading and then to stop the rash from itching. The urushiol can be neutralized by washing the area with soap and water, and the itching is generally treated with topical ointments. Probably the most common treatment is to coat the rash area with calamine lotion; however, there are many herbal concoctions that have been reported to be effective. Preparations made from jewelweed, melaleuca tree oil or goldenseal root are popular and have been reported as effective by many people. The juice from freshly picked rhubarb and sap from milkweed plants applied directly to the rash has been reported to relieve the itching. Aloe vera gel and juice made by boiling sweet or fiddlehead ferns has also been used as a topical ointment. If the rash is widespread, a colloidal oatmeal cool water soak (available in most pharmacies) may provide relief. These preparations are topical and should not be taken internally. As with all medications, relief is not immediate. The medicine must be given time to be effective.

Other Considerations

• The rash will usually disappear without any treatment in approximately three weeks, but a physician should be consulted if it does not. Seek professional medical treatment if the rash affects the eyes, nose or genital areas, or a temperature of over 100 degrees is experienced. An untreated secondary infection can have serious consequences.