Poison ivy, all plants that can cause a
temporary, irritating rash when they come in contact with your skin.
This rash is a form of allergic contact dermatitis. Dermatitis simply
means an irritation of the skin. It's called "allergic contact
dermatitis" because the rash is caused by contact with a substance to
which you're allergic.
Many people break out in a rash when urushiol
touches the skin. And even if you don't recall touching the leaves of poison
ivy, oak, or sumac, you may have unwittingly come in contact with their roots
or stems.
Urushiol quickly penetrates the skin, often leaving
red lines that show where you brushed against the plant. Symptoms appear 24 to
72 hours after exposure. Scratching the itchy rash doesn't cause it to spread
but can prolong skin healing and cause a secondary infection. The rash isn't
contagious, so you won't spread it to others by going to school or work.
Three types of transmission can occur:
- Direct contact with the plant
- Indirect contact when you touch pets, gardening tools, sports
equipment, or other objects that had direct contact with the plant
- Airborne contact from burning these plants, which releases particles of urushiol into the air that can penetrate the skin, eyes, nose, throat, or respiratory system
Does it matter which plant you're exposed to?
Poison ivy, oak, and sumac all fall into the plant species called
Toxicodendron, so the allergic reaction to all of these plants has the same
name: Toxicodendron dermatitis. There are actually four poisonous plants in
this group, since poison oak has both a western and an eastern variation. All
four plants contain urushiol, so the skin reaction and treatment are
essentially the same.
Remedies
for Poison Ivy
1. Wash
the Area with Cold Water
Keep the
area affected with poison ivy rashes under cold water for about 10-15 minutes.
This will give an instant relief from the itchiness till you apply any remedy
while it will also clean the area.
2. Apple
Cider Vinegar
Dab a cotton
ball into some apple cider vinegar and apply it on the rashes. Now, rinse it
off with a mixture of vinegar and water. Apple cider vinegar is a proven
remedy for healing poison ivy rashes.
3. Rubbing
Alcohol
To treat
severe poison ivy rash, rub some rubbing alcohol and then, sprinkle some
medicated body powder on the area. Now, wrap it with a clean cloth or gauze. It
will give relief from itchiness.
4. Witch
Hazel
Witch hazel
is another home remedy to treat poison ivy. Soak a cotton ball in witch hazel
and apply it on the rashes.
5. Aloe
Vera
Aloe Vera is
one of the best ways to get rid of poison ivy as it is really soothing to treat
skin allergies. Apply fresh aloe Vera gel on the blisters. Aloe Vera is a
natural healer due to its excellent anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory
properties, and therefore, good for treating poison ivy on face.
6.
Vinegar Compress
Take ½ cup
of white vinegar and mix it with 1½ cups of water. Cool down this solution in
the refrigerator for some time. Now, dampen a piece of cloth in this
solution and place it over the area, affected with poison ivy rashes. It is one
of the best ways to heal poison ivy.
7. Apply
banana peel
Banana peel
is also a good cure for poison ivy. In order to get relief from the itchiness
caused due to the rash, rub the inside part of the banana peel on it.
8.
Calamine Lotion
Apply
calamine lotion on the rashes. It is a good remedy to get relief from the
itchiness and to dry up poison ivy.
9. Tea Bag
It is one of
the good poison ivy cures that work. Soak a tea bag in plain water and place it
on the rash. Tea contains tannic acid, which is a good astringent and quickly
relieves from itching and inflammation, caused due to the poison ivy.
10. Apply
Coffee
Brew a cup
of coffee and let it cool for some time. Dab some on the skin, affected with
the rash. Coffee gives relief from inflammation as it contains
anti-inflammatory agents, like chlorogenic acid. It is a good way to get rid of
poison ivy on your skin.
11.
Plantain Leaves
Pick some
plantain (lawn weed) leaves and place it as a bandage on the rashes. It
contains an anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial compound, called allantoin,
which is good for poison ivy rashes.
12.
Baking Soda
Make a paste
of baking soda and water in the ratio 3:1. Apply this paste on the rashes and
let it dry. Apply this paste at least twice or thrice a day. Baking soda is one
of the best treatments for poison ivy.
13. Epsom
Salt Bath
Put some
Epsom salt in a bath tub, containing water. Soak yourself for some time in this
water. Epsom salt is a good poison ivy blisters treatment as it quickly dries
out the rashes.
14. Cold
Milk
Apply some
cold milk to get relief from the itchiness of poison ivy rashes. This remedy
also helps in drawing out the fluid from the poison ivy blisters. If you are
allergic to milk, you can also apply buttermilk or yoghurt
15.
Cucumber
Grate a
cucumber and apply it on the skin, impinged with the rashes. Cucumber is good
for skin and will naturally soothe the blister.
16.
Oatmeal Bath
Grind some
oatmeal and put it in a bucket, filled with lukewarm water. Have bath with this
water. Oatmeal is one of the best natural remedies as it dries up poison ivy,
as well as gives relief from poison ivy itch.
17.
Potato
Potato is an
anti-inflammatory, and therefore, it is one of the most effective home remedies
to heal poison ivy. Blend a potato to form its paste. Then, apply it over the
area, affected with poison ivy rashes.
18. Vodka
You can also
apply vodka in order to neutralize the effect of poison ivy blisters.
19. Acorn
Crack some
acorns and boil them. After some time, strain this solution and dab it with a
piece of cloth on the itchy rashes. Acorns give relief from the prickliness,
resulted due to poison ivy.
20. Lemon
Juice
Lemon juice
is useful for removing the toxins, present in any type of skin infection. Soak
a cotton ball in lemon juice and apply it on the rashes. Lemon is a natural
astringent, and greatly helps in healing the poison ivy blisters.
21.
Watermelon Rind
Apply cold
watermelon rind on the area. Watermelon is really cooling and acts as a cold
compress over the rashes while the juice helps to dry poison ivy rash.
22.
Goldenseal
Form a paste
of goldenseal in some apple cider vinegar or water. Apply this paste on the
affected skin. Goldenseal is an effective home remedy to treat poison ivy or
poison oak rashes.
23.
Himalayan Crystal Salt
Mix some
Himalayan crystal salt and water to form a paste. Apply it over the affected
area in order to get relief from the itchiness. This remedy also dries out the
blisters.
24.
Pascalite Clay
Apply a
paste of pascalite clay over the poison ivy rashes, and let it dry. Pascalite
helps to draw the harmful toxins and fluids from the blisters while drying it
out and eliminating the itchiness.
25.
Bleach
Soak your
body in a bath tub, containing ½ cup of bleach mixed with water. You can also
mix a teaspoon of bleach in some water and apply it as a compress. Bleach works
well on poison ivy, though it also has certain side effects.
REMEMBER
Get immediate medical help for any difficulty
breathing or severe coughing after
exposure to burning plants.