How to Know When to See a Doctor About a Poison Oak Rash

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 the symptoms become more acute, however, you may need to see a doctor about it. A few common sense tips can help you determine when self-medication has failed and you need to see a doctor.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Topical medication
• Water
• Cloth
• Telephone

1. Give the outbreak a basic treatment yourself by applying topical medication to the skin. Medicine like Tecnu makes an effective remedy for poison oak, and you can mitigate the rash and blistering with calamine lotion. Use the medicine judiciously before giving up on it.

2. Clean clothes, tools and equipment thoroughly. The urushiol oil secreted by poison oak sticks to them and might be passed on to bare skin if it brushes against anyone. Soaking the clothes in Tecnu and rubbing down the tools with a cloth treated with Tecnu gets rid of the oil and stops the spread of the rash.

3. Use Tecnu on any pets who may have come into contact with poison oak. They might carry the oil on their fur, which passes to you when you hold them or pet them. Wipe their fur down with Tecnu, then clean it with water once the medication has had a few minutes to do its work.

4. Check to see if you have swallowed any poison oak or if any urushiol oil has come into contact with your eyes. You should see a doctor immediately after contacting poison oak in this manner.

5. Make sure you have not applied a topical antihistamine to the rash. Though oral antihistamines may help with poison oak, a topical application can produce an allergic reaction in the already inflamed skin. If you've already rubbed an antihistamine onto the rash, call your doctor and ask him about how to proceed.

6. Examine the severity of the rash after applying medication. See if it persists, if it grows worse and/or spreads, if blisters and sores break out and if it begins to ooze. All of which suggest that a doctor's advice may be in order.

Tips & Warnings

• It is always better to be safe than sorry. If you think you need to see a doctor, then make an appointment immediately. Even when it's just a minor rash, the doctor can tell you about the best way to treat it and make sure it doesn't come back.