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Treatment for Poison Ivy and Oak

Poison ivy and poison oak are serious skin rashes that usually are associated with outdoor summer activities. These aggravating plants can also afflict you during other seasons. Between the unrelenting itch and the unsightly rash, this is one allergy that can ruin your days and your nights. So what can you do to treat this irritant? Plenty.

  1. Prevention

    • The best treatment for poison ivy and poison oak is prevention. Learn to identify both plants and avoid exposure to them. Wear long sleeves and gloves if you must work outdoors around them. Wash exposed skin immediately with cool, soapy water. Use a nail brush--some say that the oils from the plants can live under your nails for days and reinfect you.
      Some people who are allergic to poison ivy and oak swear by the use of aluminum-based deodorant as an effective prevention technique. They spray parts of their body with the deodorant before going outside.
      Burning leaves? Beware. If there is any poison ivy or oak in the leaf pile, you could catch poison ivy internally from exposure to the smoke. Have pets? You can catch poison ivy from touching animals that have been in contact with the plant oil. This includes cats, dogs, horses, cattle and goats. The oil from these plants can live for as long as five years on gardening gloves, tools, shoes and other equipment.

    Home Remedies

    • Home treatment methods for poison ivy and poison oak include applying rubbing alcohol or using a baking soda paste. The baking soda paste is the same as the one used for insect bites and stings: three parts baking soda to one part water. Soaking in a cool oatmeal bath can also help relieve the itching and irritation. The liquid from an aloe vera plant has been found to soothe the itch as well.

    Over-the-Counter Treatment Options

    • There are many over-the-counter treatments for poison ivy and poison oak rashes and itching. Anti-itch cremes, lotions and ointments can soothe the heat of the rash and ease the itching. Products containing cortisone can help speed healing, but cortisone alone doesn't offer instant itch relief.

    Prescription Treatment Options

    • Poison oak and poison ivy rashes can take as long as three weeks to heal. Prescription medications, usually containing steroids, can shorten this healing time considerably.

    Warning

    • Severe symptoms of poison ivy or poison oak reaction include swelling of the tongue, lips and throat, difficulty swallowing or breathing, weakness, dizziness and unconsciousness. Should these symptoms occur, it is important to seek immediate medical care. It is not unusual for someone who has never had contact with poison ivy to suddenly find himself allergic to it.

    Fun Fact

    • The name poison ivy was coined by Capt. John Smith in 1609.
      Five hundred people could be affected from one pinhead measure of poison ivy oil.
      One-fourth ounce of oil is all you need to cause a rash on every person on Earth.

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