Poison Ivy Identification And How To Get The Scratching And Pain To Stop

Poison ivy is usually found growing up trees on a heavy vine. Vines have many hairs hanging from them and on those vines are clusters of leaves in threes that are shaped like almonds. The color of the leaves vary from dark to light green and in the fall they turn scarlet and contrary to popular belief the leaves do not have thorns. Leaves are smooth and glossy. They carry urushiol, an oil that causes a horrible rash on the skin of some people.

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.

Under normal conditions the rash presents itself by a reddening of the skin, bumps and blisters. Traditionally the rash has been treated with a coating of Calamine lotion so that it will dry out and stop itching. The rash is brought on by an allergy to the urushiol and most people are affected by it, yet there are many who do not have any reaction when touching the plant.

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.

Poison Ivy does not have to be touched to get a rash. Never burn the plant either dead or alive because the oil travels through the air in the smoke and if it is inhaled it can get into the lungs and be fatal. A dog that runs in poison ivy can give it to its owner just by having them pet him while the oil is still on his fur. Be careful when cleaning dead vines from your yard ad poison ivy can harbor the harmful oil for almost 2 years after the vine has died.

Should you notice that you have touched a leaf of this plant you need to quickly, within 10 minutes wipe the area that was touched with some rubbing alcohol. Next use the garden hose and rinse the area. If you go inside to rinse be sure you use cold water as anything else will allow the oil causing the reaction to spread to a larger area. Avoid getting into a bathtub full of water because that will certainly spread the rash where you do not want it to go. Rinse to not soak the area.

The next thing you should do is put on some disposable gloves and take off the clothes and shoes you were wearing and discard the gloves. Take a shower but do not use soap. Instead take the soap you use to wash dishes but make sure it does not have lotion in it and it does have a grease repellent. Put more gloves on and wash down your shoes and clothing with water and alcohol. The poison oil can cling to your clothing and if you put it in the washer you could infect the everyone in the house.

If you get a rash carefully rub steroid cream to stop the itch and take an oral antihistamine. You can get into the bathtub with luke warm water in which is dissolved about three tablespoons of baking soda. An old remedy is to make a batch of oatmeal using Old Fashion Oats. Cool it and spread it on to the affected area and let it dry. This will prevent air from getting to the rash and it will feel better. Eventually the oatmeal will flake and fall off and make a mess all over the house so once it dries you can loosely wrap the area with gauze.

Other remedies include vinegar because tends to draw the oil from the skin so dab some on to the affected area. This will hurt at first but it is worth it in the end. Spreading honey on the rash and covering with gauze might be messy but it works. It is said that peeling a banana and putting the inside part of the peel against the rash will stop the itch and cool the inflammation. The best remedy for poison ivy is prevention. Stay away from it if you see it and if you notice that you have touched it take preventative measures immediately. If the rash is severe and excessive swelling occurs do not wait, go directly to the hospital.

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