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Sufferers experience a very itchy rash – often with blisters forming. This is due to a chemical called urishiol that is found in the sap of the plants. If this sap comes into contact with your skin it triggers an immune reaction – and this means that the next time you touch one of these plants you will experience a skin sensitivity allergic reaction – sometimes very severe.

Usually, people develop a sensitivity to poison ivy, oak or sumac only after several encounters with the plants, sometimes over many years. However, sensitivity may occur after only one exposure.

How to prevent poison ivy reactions

• avoid direct contact with the plants – this should reduce the risk but doesn’t guarantee against a reaction.
  the chemical in the sap of the plants can stick to almost anything it comes in contact with.
• If it isn’t washed off then touching the object or animal might trigger an attack
• remember that sap on objects can stay active for years – particularly in a dry environment

The skin on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet is a bit less sensitive to a poison ivy reaction – the skin is thicker and harder for the urushiol to penetrate. Affected skin produces a rash in a line along the affected area.

Poison Ivy Treatment – Act Quickly

• Clean the skin – with a rubbing alcohol if possible
• then wash the affected area again with water – no soap yet because soap will tend to spread the sap around the body
• now go indoors and shower properly with soap and water
• then wipe all shoes and clothes that were in contact the sap with alcohol wipes and water

Treatment for Poison Ivy Rash

• it takes between 12 and 48 hours for redness and swelling to appear. Blisters and itching will follow.
• try to keep the blisters intact and avoid scratching them – this can cause infection
• the blisters disappear but take up to three weeks to fully go away

Treatment for Poison Ivy Itch

The itch of a poison ivy rash can be almost intolerable. Try the following options

• cold cloth compresses
• antihistamine tablets or syrups
• over the counter corticosteroid creams are safe if used in moderation
• early use of stronger steroid creams can prevent blisters forming if applied soon after the exposure but wont help once the blisters appear. These strong steroid creams are only available with a prescription from your doctor
• severe cases sometimes need steroid tablets to be taken orally – and for a course of at least two weeks. Stopping too early will cause the rash to reappear in a severe form

You can try the following readilly available options to help soothe the blisters:

aluminum acetate (Burrows solution), baking soda, Aveeno (oatmeal bath), aluminum hydroxide gel, calamine or zinc oxide cream

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