How to Treat Poison Ivy Immediately After Contamination
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 discomfort of an poison ivy rash, but only if you act quickly after contamination.
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Things You'll Need
- Cold water
- Baking soda
- Epsom salts
- Cloth for compress
- Oatmeal
- Lotion with calamine, zinc and/or alcohol
Instructions
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Determine whether or not you have had exposure to poison ivy by correctly identifying the plant. A poison ivy plant consists of a woody vine that features green almond-shaped leaves that are always clustered in threes. In addition, these clusters alternate down the vine and are never located opposite of each other, and there are no thorns on the plant.
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Wash the contaminated area of your skin as quickly as possible after you have been exposed to poison ivy. Use cold water and soap to scrub as much of the urushiol oil from the surface of your skin, which may help to reduce the severity of the rash, and prevent the spreading of the rash as well. Using hot water may open up skin pores and allow the oil to penetrate even quicker.
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Make a paste with water, baking soda and Epsom salts, and apply the paste to a cloth to form a cold, wet compress. Apply to the affected area.
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Treat poison ivy immediately after contamination by taking a cool bath, mixing oatmeal, baking soda and Epsom salts into the water. Soak for at least 30 minutes for the best results.
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Use calamine lotion to treat poison ivy immediately after contamination. Calamine can reduce the itching and help speed up the healing of the blisters that can form once the rash appears. Lotions using zinc and alcohol may also be useful in treating the affected areas.
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Keep the affected area dry and exposed to fresh air as much as possible. Covering the affected area with a bandage or clothing may cause the blisters to become more severe, and even infected.
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Tips & Warnings
Remember to deal with all of the clothing that also came in contact with the poison ivy, since the oils from the leaves can remain potent for a long time. Wash the clothing repeatedly in hot water as soon as possible.
Some topical antihistamines used to treat skin irritations may actually worsen the rash for some individuals. If you need to take antihistamines, use ones that are taken orally.
