Rashes

Poison ivy, poison oak and poison sumac are all capable of causing a rash called contact dermatitis. This is because all three plants contain an allergenic oil called urushiol in their leaves,...

Poison ivy is a plant with a chemical defense mechanism. The plant releases an oil called urushiol. When touched, the oil causes an itching, weeping and very uncomfortable rash on the parts of the...

Poison sumac belongs to the same basic category of plants as poison oak and poison ivy. It's found in the eastern sections of North America, thriving in moist areas such as swamps and flood...

An uncomfortable rash and painful irritation are signs of a poison ivy infection. The plant grows throughout the U.S.---an allergic reaction results when the oil of the plant, urushiol, comes in...

Poison oak is related to poison ivy, and similar symptoms appear when skin comes into contact with the plant. Coming into contact with poison oak may cause a rash. This rash is due to the...

Poison oak contains urishiol oil, which most people are allergic to. When you brush against the plant, you deposit some of the oil on your skin, which results in the horrible itching and burning...

Poison oak excretes a substance called urushiol oil, which most people are allergic to. When it brushes against the skin, it creates terrible itching, swelling and a red rash that takes several...

Poison Ivy is the most common allergy in the United States, according to the Poison Ivy, Oak, and Sumac Information Center. Urushiol oil is the potent oil in poison ivy, and only one nanogram is...

Poison ivy rashes are no laughing matter, and shouldn't be taken lightly if you have an allergic reaction to the poison ivy plant. Once the urushiol, an oil emitted from the plant, spreads onto...

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...

The damage from poison ivy is caused by urushiol oil, which the plant excretes across its surface. Most people are allergic to urushiol oil. When it comes into contact with skin, it cases...

Poison ivy and poison oak are cousins, which means their effects are similar. The difference between the two comes primarily in their location and in their visual appearance.

A poison ivy rash occurs on human skin after contact with certain plants containing urushiol oil. The rash can take several forms, from redness and irritation to blisters and swelling. The...

Poison ivy is a plant that most people would like to avoid. The scourge of campgrounds and summer getaways, poison ivy causes an uncomfortable and unsightly rash in most people who come into...

Touching the leaves, branches or stems of the poison oak plant can cause an itchy, red rash that takes several weeks to heal. The rash usually appears 12 to 72 hours after you have touched the...

People who spend time outdoors, regardless of the activity, will eventually come into contact with a plant that causes them to break into a rash. This type of rash is called dermatitis. Plants can...

There are two different species of poison oak: Pacific poison oak and its Atlantic counterpart. Both are shrub-like forms of poison ivy, so the best way to avoid getting a rash from either plant...

Urushiol is the oil found in poison oak, ivy and sumac that will trigger rash development. Sensitivity to urushiol can develop at any point in life, so precautions always need be taken. Poison...

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...

Poison ivy may look harmless, but woe to the person who comes into contact with it. Poison ivy will give you a rash on your skin that is caused by the toxin urushiol. Many people are allergic to...

Both poison ivy and poison oak excrete the same chemical---urushiol oil---which most humans are allergic to and which causes the rashes, itching and blisters everyone hates so much. You can treat...

Poison oak causes itchy, painful rashes, blisters and swelling when it comes into contact with human skin. It excretes urushiol oil, which causes all of the trouble (most people are allergic to...

The itching and scratching of poison oak is caused by urushiol oil, excreted by both the oak and its cousins poison ivy and poison sumac. Almost everyone is allergic to urushiol oil; when it gets...

Poison oak excretes urushiol oil, which nine out of 10 people are allergic to. When the oil gets on the skin, it produces a maddening itch, along with swelling and an extremely bad rash. The...

With three leaflets on each stem, poison oak grows as low-lying ground cover and bushes or it may vine upward on trees or fences. Like other poisonous plants that cause contact dermatitis, poison...

Summer is finally here! Unfortunately, not everything about summer is festive including catching poison ivy. This hearty plant grows throughout most of North America and is capable of causing...

Poison oak rashes appear when you have direct contact with the plant or something else that also has had recent contact, like a family pet or a piece of clothing. A toxic compound called urushiol...

If you have ever had a bout of poison ivy rash then that is certainly enough of a learning experience to last a lifetime. Avoiding it is the best medicine but if you end up with the rash the...

Poison oak can be a short or tall shrub, or a lengthy vine (depending on where it is located) with leaves of green and sometimes berries that are yellow or white. Inside this plant is a substance...

I am one of the many unfortunate people that suffer severe reactions to poison ivy when I am exposed to the demonic plant. Over the years I have learned how to get relief. I've learned what to...

A poison ivy rash is caused when an individual comes into direct contact with the oil urushiol that poison ivy plants contain. The term used for a poison ivy rash is contact dermatitis. A poison...

How to treat Poison Ivy. So you've done it. Somehow, someway you have gotten a rash that itches like crazy. Chances are if you were outside recently you got the rash from Poison Ivy, here is how...

If you learn to recognize poison ivy and it's relatives you may then be able to avoid an allergic reaction such as the one in the photo. Although all people are not allergic to poison ivy and it's...

Some illnesses that manifest themselves as rashes, including scarlet fever, measles and small pox, can be spread through the air when an infected person coughs, sneezes or sometimes just breathes....

In the medical field the rash created by poison ivy is called contact dermatitis. This rash generally itches, and is marked by bumpy or blistered swelling. The irritating substance in poison ivy...

The name poison oak refers to shrub-like forms of poison ivy and other plant species within, related to, or closely similar to the cashew family, Anacardiaceae.

Poison oak, the dreaded cousin of poison ivy and poison sumac, is found throughout the United States and can cause an allergic reaction in most people that come in contact with it. The rash that...

Urushiol is the substance in all three of these plants that cause an allergic reaction in the skin. Once exposed to this substance there are a number of ways to minimize its effects.

According to the American Academy of Dermatology, about 85 percent of people who come in contact with poison ivy will suffer an allergic reaction to this common plant. Some people may be exposed...

Nothing can spoil your summer faster than getting a nasty, itchy rash. And yet, if you spend any time outdoors just about anywhere in the US, it can be hard to avoid running into the itchy stuff...

Poison oak is a harmful plant found in rural areas on the West Coast and southern areas of the United States. Brushing up against it can cause horrible itching and blisters that last for days. A...

Although it causes a great deal of distress, poison oak is a comparatively minor ailment. Many people simply suffer through it or use topical medicines to address the problem. If it persists or...

Though medication helps alleviate the symptoms of poison oak, nothing beats preventing the outbreak in the first place. Anyone who has experienced a poison oak rash knows how miserable it can be....

Poison sumac is one of three North American plants, along with poison ivy and poison oak, that contains urushiol in its leaves. Urushiol is an oil that can cause a severe rash and blistering...

While it is unlikely that you can avoid symptoms of a poison sumac rash immediately after contamination, you can take immediate precautions to ensure that your suffering will be minimized. It may...

Coming in contact with poison sumac when you're miles away from help can be a difficult situation. Unless you're trekking through the wilderness with a bathtub full of cold water and colloidal...

Urushiol, the substance in poison ivy that causes skin irritation, bonds to the skin immediately after contact, causing a rash to develop almost instantly. You can take steps to reduce the...

When it comes to avoiding a poison ivy rash, a little common sense can go a long way. The first step of prevention is knowing how to identify the poison ivy plant correctly, followed by taking a...

Ivy Block is a topical lotion that you can use to avoid poison ivy rashes. Ivy Block uses an ingredient, bentoquatam, that instantly absorbs urushiol, the oil on the leaves of poison ivy that...

Poison ivy is an allergic contact dermatitis, or skin rash, caused by exposure to urushiol, an oil found in the three-leaved poison ivy plant. Urushiol is so potent that it only takes a billionth...