How to Treat Poison Ivy

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 problems for humans year round. The problem is the urushiol resin produced by the plant. The urushiol resin is capable of producing an extremely itchy and uncomfortable allergic rash in the vast majority of humans. The more we scratch the affected areas the more damage we do to the underlying skin and the farther we spread the irritating urushiol resin. Left untreated the poison ivy rash can cause potential problems for weeks. So how do you treat poison ivy?

Instructions

1. Break the itch-scratch cycle! There are several oral antihistamine pills and tablets available without a prescription which can reduce the redness, swelling and itching and treat poison ivy. An older choice such as Benadryl is effective but sedating for some individuals. Try limiting Benadryl to the evening only. Newer agents such as Zyrtec or Claritin are less sedating and better daytime choices.

2. Adding an OTC gastric reflux medication such as Tagamet or Zantac short term to oral antihistamines can further to treat poison ivy.

3. Use a topical steroid cream such as hydrocortisone to treat poison ivy. The poison ivy rash is caused by an allergic reaction to the urushiol resin produced by the poison ivy plant.

4. Try one of several combination creams available which can help to sooth the itching and burning skin associated with a poison ivy rash. The onset of action is usually very quick. Look for ones that contain topical Benadryl (for itching), pramoxine (for pain) or benzyl alcohol (for both itching and pain).

5. Consider trying topical combination creams which contain agents called counterirritants such as menthol or camphor to treat poison ivy. Counterirritants help to diminish your focus on itching at a site by creating a less irritating tingling or cooling sensation at the same location.

6. Give Zanfel a try. It's a topical wash which supposedly is capable of binding to the urushiol resin already on your skin and allowing it to be successfully washed off. If true then removing the offending chemical that is triggering the allergic reaction should help treat poison ivy.

7. The application of either hot or cold compresses to an affected area is controversial. Try them both and see which one more effectively treats poison ivy symptoms.

8. Go see your doctor if your best efforts fail. To treat poison ivy the itch scratch cycle has to be broken which means using either oral or intramuscular steroids. Both are very effective to treat poison ivy.

Tips & Warnings

• Avoid Calamine lotion. Used for decades to treat poison ivy the FDA has indicated that Calamine lotion has never been medically proven to be safe or effective; in addition, the ingredients contained in Calamine lotion can themselves cause an allergic skin reaction in some people.

• If the poison ivy rash begins spreading to your face or genital areas it's time to see your medical doctor for treatment.