How to treat Poison Ivy

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 to treat it.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Soap and water
• oatmeal
• rubbing alcohol
• baking soda

1. First step is to cleanse the area where you think you have been in contact with Poison Ivy. Poison Ivy uses an oil called urushiol to ward off pesky animals with a rather nasty rash. This oil usually takes anywhere from 10-30 mins. depending on the person to penetrate the skin, you must act quickly. Take some rubbing alcohol and rub the affected area well. Do not go anywhere where you will come in contact again with Poison Ivy, the rubbing alcohol strips away the skins oil as well as the urushiol and if you come in contact with it again you the oil will penetrate the skin twice as fast.

2. Remove all clothing that might have come in contact with the Poison Ivy and wash it, every bit of it. The oil of the Poison Ivy plant can linger and thus cause a rash for days to come, by washing it you get rid of that chance.

3. Take a regular shower with soap, or better yet if you have a special Poison Ivy soap use that. Soap tends to spread Poison Ivy oil around instead of getting rid of it, so that why you use the rubbing alcohol first.

4. Now hopefully you have got to the Poison Ivy before it has done any major damage, but if you haven't you will need relief from the itching. Just go out and get an anti itch cream, you should be fine because Poison Ivy does not spread, its the oil you have to worry about spreading and if you take care of that it won't spread. Using calamine lotion will help tremendously, not only does it soothe but forms a protective crust over the rash.

5. Another good anti itch treatment is an oatmeal bath. Just take about a cup of oats (any oats will do, instant, slow cook etc.) and grind them into a nice fine powder. Throw them in the bath and go sit in it for a bout 15-20 mins. for Poison Ivy relief.

6. Usually the rash of Poison Ivy will go away on its own, to help the blisters along apply a baking soda and water paste to them to dry them out quickly. If you have developed a severe rash though you will have to go see the doctor for treatment.

[Tippy]

on 6/13/2009 Thanks for this article.

[billips]

on 5/9/2009 Good article - a bad case of poison ivy can certainly make your life miserable - nice to have some good treatment ideas - 5* - B.