Poison Ivy Treatments

There are several poison ivy treatments available, some you can buy at the drug store, others which were handed down from our ancestors.

People should be very careful of coming into contact with the poison ivy plant, especially where kids are concerned. Poison ivy rash can become very red and itchy, and you should seek immediate poison ivy treatments.

Stumbling into a patch of poison ivy is not a pleasant experience for most people, especially if an allergic reaction occurred in the past and poison ivy treatment had to be sought. Poisonous plants like poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac are located throughout the United States, except for Alaska, Hawaii, and the southwestern states.

Poison ivy is a three leafed vine in most parts of the country; in the northern states around the Great Lakes region it grows more like a shrub. Poison oak is similar to poison ivy but the leaves resemble an oak leaf and the underside is of a lighter green.

Poison oak is a also a shrub, and poison sumac is more of a woody shrub with clumps of green berries hanging from underneath the leaves. So if you run into something looking like this, stay out of it if you can.

An allergic reaction to poison ivy will not occur with the first exposure, and subsequent exposures may not result in an allergic reaction for a few hours, or even a few days later.

The skin will be red and itchy at first, and then fluid filled blisters will develop in streaks or patches where contact was met with the plant. If the mucous membranes are involved, especially if plants are burned, reactions can be quite serious.

Poison ivy treatments differ depending on what area of the body was exposed and to what degree. For a milder exposure, poison ivy treatment may just be a cold shower and over the counter calamine lotion or topical steroid cream. A more severe exposure may need more extensive poison ivy treatments, such as oral steroids to get the rash under control.

Poison ivy treatments do not necessarily involve a visit to the doctor’s office, and many times exposure is going to occur out in the country somewhere away from medical facilities.

Most people don’t travel around with calamine lotion either, but the first and foremost thing that anyone should do if exposure has occurred to poison ivy, or other poisonous plant is to take a cool shower and rinse off any plant residue remaining.

The majority off convenience stores carry cortisone cream that can be put on the rash. If symptoms are more severe seek medical attention. The best poison ivy treatment is of course, awareness and avoidance. If you’re in area ripe for poisonous plants then stay out if you can, otherwise be knowledgeable of poison ivy treatments.

There is much information online on poison ivy treatments and posion ivy cure, so if you are not familiar with any of the more common treatments for poison ivy it would very wise to learn about it, you never know when it might come in handy.

Resources

Poison Ivy - Poison ivy is the most well known plant that can cause contact dermatitis, and it has a characteristic three leaflets with notched edges. It can grow as a shrub or vine in the grass or on trees and it is found throughout the United States. Poison sumac is not as common in the United States, and grows in woody or swampy areas east of the Mississippi River as a shrub or tree with 7-13 paired leaflets and a single leaflet at the end. Poison oak grows a shrub only and is most common in the western United States.

Poison Ivy Cure - Jewelweed is best known for its skin healing properties. The leaves and the juice from the stem of Jewelweed are used by herbalists to create a poison ivy cure and other plant induced rashes, as well as many other types of dermatitis. Jewelweed works by counter-reacting with the chemicals in other plants that cause irritation. Poultices and salves from Jewelweed are a folk remedy for bruises, burns, cuts, eczema, insect bites, sores, sprains, warts, and ringworm.