Poison Ivy Determination And How To Get The Itch And Pain To Cease

Poison Ivy is a vine that is usually found growing up trees in the woods. The vine looks raggy or hairy and from the vine grows leaves in clusters of three almond shaped leaves. These leaves are light to dark green and do not contain any thorns. They are usually smooth and shiny and turn red in the fall. The leaves produce an oil called urushiol which, if touched, can cause a nasty rash.

The oil of this plant can cause a rash that rivals no other. It causes an itch that never stops and it also hurts. Without attention this oil can spread everywhere and even invade the inside of the body through the nose, eyes, mouth and genitals. If this happens to you do not wait to try any home remedies. Just get to an emergency room immediately as the condition could turn fatal.

When the rash appears on the legs or arms it is usually red and inflamed, bumps can appear and then blisters rise. For generations pink Calamine lotion has been applied to control the pain and itch. People that get the rash have an allergy to the oil in poison ivy called urushiol and there are those lucky people that do not seem to be affected by touching poison ivy.

Blisters that break open release a fluid so it is very important not to scratch the rash. Breaking open those blisters can start another infection that makes it hard to get rid of. The rash will appear after about 12 to 48 hours of touching the plant and it usually lasts anywhere from 1 and up to 4 weeks.

Unfortunately poison ivy can be spread in other ways besides touching it. If you burn the plant, even if it is dead, you risk getting a rash on the lungs while breathing in the smoke which can be fatal. If a pet or any livestock touches the plant and you touch the animal soon after you can get it because the oil will live on the fir of the animal for several hours. If you are cleaning up dead vines be aware that the oil can live for up to 2 years.

If you see that you have touched a leaf of the ivy you need to spring into action. It is essential for you to wash the area touched with rubbing alcohol within 10 minutes of touching it. Once you use alcohol rinse the area down with water from the hose or with cold water inside the house and never use hot water because it will allow the oil to spread out. Also do not immerse yourself in a bath because the oil that remains on the body will spread all over. Rinsing is the most effective way to get rid of it.

Get disposable gloves on your hands and take off your shoes and your clothing. Hop into the shower and wash yourself down with grease repelling dish washing soap. Avoid the type that has lotion and do not use regular soap. Once you are done put more gloves on and wash down your shoes and clothing that you were wearing with a combination of alcohol and water. If you would rather throw the clothing away you can but do not put it in a washer without wiping it down. This could spread the oil to the rest of the family through their clothing.

To treat the rash you can use an oral antihistamine and apply steroid cream. Often times a doctor will give you a shot of a steroid. A bath with 3 tablespoons of baking soda might stop the itching for awhile. Another old remedy is to make Old Fashion style oatmeal by boiling the oatmeal in water. Once it is cool apply it to the rash in a thick layer. This dries and as long as the air does not hit the rash it does not itch. This is a little messy because the oatmeal tends to flake off. You can cover it with gauze bandages loosely.

There are several other remedies like dabbing on some vinegar to the rash to draw the oils and infection from the skin. This will sting like the dickens but once it air dries you will find it feels much better. Covering the rash with honey is another messy method but this can also be wrapped with gauze. An unusual remedy is to take a banana out of the peel then place the part of peel that touched the banana against the affected skin to cool the inflammation. Prevention is the best thing to strive for where poison ivy is concerned. Do not touch it if you can help it and if you find you have sprint into action. If you see that the rash is especially severe, is near the eyes, nose, mouth or genitals or if the area swells badly you need to go to the emergency room immediately.

Find the details you need to get a cure for poison ivy fast and easy! When you need a poison ivy treatment that will give you immediate relief, you can find it today!