To ease the itch, take short, lukewarm baths in a colloidal oatmeal preparation, which you can buy at your local drugstore. You can also draw a bath and add one cup of baking soda to the running water.
Taking short, cool showers may also help. Use calamine lotion or hydrocortisone cream. Calamine lotion can reduce the itch. If you have a mild case, a hydrocortisone cream or lotion is another treatment that can alleviate the itch. Apply cool compresses to the itchy skin. You can make a cool compress by wetting a clean washcloth with cold water and wringing it out so that it does not drip.
Then, apply the cool cloth to the itchy skin. Consider taking antihistamine pills. These pills can help reduce itching. You should not apply an antihistamine to your skin, as doing so can worsen the rash and the itch. If your rash is not improving after 7 to 10 days, or you think your rash may be infected, see a board-certified dermatologist.
A dermatologist can treat your rash and any infection and help relieve the itch. Tips for treating poison ivy A rash from poison ivy, poison oak or poison sumac is caused by an oil found in these plants called urushiol.
If you have any of the following, go to the emergency room immediately: Difficulty breathing or swallowing A rash around one or both eyes, your mouth, or on your genitals Swelling on your face, especially if an eye swells shut Itching that worsens or makes it impossible to sleep Rashes on most of your body A fever These are signs of a severe reaction that require immediate medical care.
Have a skin, hair, or nail problem? A poison ivy plant typically has three leaflets branching off a single stem. It may grow as a low plant or bush or as a vine. Low-lying poison ivy plants are usually found among groups of weeds and other plants. Poison ivy leaves vary greatly in their shape, color and texture. Some leaves have smooth edges, while others have a jagged, tooth-like appearance. In the fall, the leaves may turn yellow, orange or red. Poison ivy can produce small, greenish flowers and green or off-white berries.
The poison sumac plant has smooth-edged leaves and can grow as a bush or tree. Unlike poison ivy and poison oak, it doesn't grow in a three-leaf-per-stem pattern. Poison ivy rash is caused by an allergic reaction to an oily resin called urushiol.
It's found in poison ivy, poison oak and poison sumac. This oily resin is very sticky, so it easily attaches to your skin, clothing, tools, equipment and pet's fur. You can get a poison ivy reaction from:. Pus that oozes from blisters doesn't contain urushiol and won't spread the rash. But it's possible to get poison ivy rash from someone if you touch plant resin that's still on the person or contaminated clothing.
Your risk of a rash is increased if you participate in outdoor activities that put you at higher risk of exposure to poison ivy, poison oak and poison sumac:. If you scratch a poison ivy rash, bacteria under your fingernails may cause the skin to become infected. See your doctor if pus starts oozing from the blisters.
Your doctor might prescribe antibiotics. Serious difficulty breathing and inflammation of the lining of the lungs may result from inhaling urushiol. Avoid the plants. Learn how to identify poison ivy, poison oak and poison sumac in all seasons.
When hiking or engaging in other activities that might expose you to these plants, try to stay on cleared pathways. Wear socks, pants and long sleeves when outdoors.
If camping, make sure you pitch your tent in an area free of these plants. Keep pets from running through wooded areas so that urushiol doesn't stick to their fur, which you then may touch. Wash your skin or your pet's fur. Within 30 minutes after exposure to urushiol, use soap and water to gently wash off the harmful resin from your skin.
These symptoms of poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac can emerge any time from a few hours to several days after exposure to the plant oil found in the sap of these poisonous plants. The culprit: the urushiol oil. Here are some tips to avoid it.
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