Remedy for Poison Oak or Ivy Rat's Tail Tea Plant

Poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac are plants in the cashew family that contain urushiol, an oil that causes an itchy, painful rash on contact with skin. All three grow wild in the United States and southern Canada. The oil can be transmitted by animals and smoke. Home remedies such as rat tail or rat vein ivy tea will relieve itching and burning; prescription medications should be reserved for severe cases. Education about poisonous plants and preventing exposure is important, especially for children.

Home Remedies

• It takes only 10 minutes for urushiol oil to penetrate the skin; after that, it cannot be washed away. Immediate washing with a laundry bar such as Fels Naptha and water or alcohol will remove the irritating oil. Lather and rinse several times. Wash clothing and gear in hot water with chlorine bleach, if possible. Repeated contact with contaminated clothing can delay healing.

  Very hot plain water, under a faucet or applied in compresses at brief intervals, will increase circulation and help the body combat and release the urushiol oil. Rat tail ivy, or rat's vein plant, is also known as spotted wintergreen, striped pipsissewa, rheumatism root or Dragon's Tongue. It is a remedy for poison ivy and oak used in the southern United States. The plant should be made into a strong tea that can be applied to the area with cotton balls or a compress.

  It is also soothing to soak the affected area in cool water and use an oatmeal soap. To relieve itching apply a paste (1 tsp. water to 3 tsp. dry ingredient) of one of these: oatmeal, cornstarch, epsom salts, or baking soda.

  Aloe vera juice is another remedy that provides cooling relief. Witch hazel also stops itching, and tea tree oil is said to be an instant cure for pain and itch.

  Taking 3,000 to 8,000 mg daily of vitamin C with bioflavonoids helps prevents the skin rash from spreading and has an antihistamine effect. Calamine lotion contains calamine, phenol, and zinc oxide, which cools and dries a skin rash. Do not apply topical steroid creams as they are ineffective and may spread the rash.

Warning

• Consult a physician if rash is extensive, covers half the body or more, or if swelling and redness are severe. Fever, and rash near the eyes, mouth, or genitals also should be medically evaluated. Steroids taken by mouth or injection may be necessary if difficulty breathing or urinating are experienced, or if there are other symptoms of serious illness.

Prevention

• Dogs and cats are unaffected by urushiol, but their fur can transmit the oil to humans. Use rubber gloves to wash pets exposed to poisonous plants. When plants are green and full of sap, exposure is more likely, but even dry plants can blister skin, and walking through the smoke of burning plants can cause severe rash.

  The first sign of contact is burning and itching, followed by redness, swelling, oozing and crusting blisters that may appear from a few hours to a few days after exposure. Scratching spreads the rash and healing may take from one to two weeks.

  Urushiol oil goes through lightweight fabrics. Heavier clothing should be worn in wooded areas and laundered thoroughly before reuse.

  Teach children to identify poison ivy and poison oak by their characteristic "leaves of three." Poison sumac is a shrub or small tree with leaflets numbering 7 to 13 but always an odd number.