Poison Oak Home Treatment

Poison oak is common along nearly the entire Pacific Coast of the United States and Canada. If you hike in a forest or otherwise spend time in a natural area, don't be surprised if you develop an itchy rash after your outdoor romp. There's not much doctors can do for poison oak, so home treatment is your best option.

Cleaning

• Immediate cleaning is the most effective way to reduce the effects of poison oak. The leaves of poison oak shrubs are coated in an oil known as urushiol, which can cause an allergic reaction that leads to itchy, painful rashes.

  Poison oak oil clings to almost anything, so avoid touching any part of your clothes or skin that has been in contact with the plant. In addition, scratching or rubbing the affected area can further inflame your skin, causing blisters, sores and possible infection.

  Urushiol takes at least several minutes to penetrate the skin, so if you think your bare skin has been in contact with poison oak, thoroughly clean the affected area with soap and water as soon possible. Wash any of your clothes that touched the poison oak as well. These measures help prevent the spread of the poison oak oil and limit its irritation.

  Over the coming week or two, you may find that a cool shower eases the inflammation and itching from poison oak, but the initial cleaning is all that can limit the oil's damage.

Antihistamines

• Over-the-counter oral and topical antihistamines help treat the symptoms of the allergic reaction caused by poison oak. Although antihistamines may provide some relief, they do not cure the allergic reaction, which will only dissipate over time---usually one to two weeks.

Hydrocortisone

• Treatment with over-the-counter hydrocortisone creams may help reduce the itchiness of skin affected by poison oak.Wear disposable latex gloves when applying the cream to ensure that you do not spread any remaining traces of the urushiol oil.

Steroids

• Some people are extremely allergic to poison oak, particularly if they have been exposed several times. Only in these severe cases will doctors prescribe a steroid such as Prednisone to tame the body's immune response. For the great majority of poison oak sufferers, however, time alone will take care of the itch and irritation.

Myths

• There are plenty of home remedies and products that claim to help or even "cure" the itchy rashes caused by poison oak. Don't buy it. Simply put, there is no known cure for poison oak's bedeviling effects except for time. In one to two weeks, which may seem like forever, your rash and itch will be gone.