Poison Ivy and Oak Treatment
Poison ivy and oak are members of a plant family that includes
poison wood (an itch-causing plant found in Florida)
and poison sumac, according to W. Hardy Eshbaugh, Ph.D.,
a retired botanist in Oxford, Ohio. “Some other members of
the same plant family can cause a rash in some people,” Dr.
Eshbaugh says. “The skin of a mango can be irritating to sensitive
skin. And Chinese lacquerware boxes can cause a
poison-ivy-like rash.”
“You can get the same kind of dermatitis from the shells
of raw cashews,” notes Kathryn A. Zug, M.D., a dermatologist
at the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in
Lebanon, New Hampshire.
The culprit in all these plants is a potent chemical called
urushiol. Seven out of 10 people are allergic to it, you can
get a rash from just one-billionth gram of the stuff, and it remains
potent on garden tools and other surfaces for up to
five years. No wonder urushiol is the champion of all allergens—
the cause of more allergies than any other known
substance.
You needn’t stay out of the fields and woods, though. Here
are some remedies to deal with the itch.
Get the Poison Off Fast
“The best treatment for poison ivy or oak is to wash with
soap in the shower within 5 to 15 minutes of exposure to the
plant,” Dr. Zug says. In other words, you need to wash off
the urushiol long before you see a rash. This is possible, of
course, only if you realize your mistake while you’re in the
woods. Rubbing alcohol also might work. “Rubbing alcohol
is a solvent that, in order to be effective, must be applied and
washed off with a washcloth soon after contact with the
plant,” Dr. Zug says.
Put Yourself in the Pink
“Calamine lotion is still one of the best treatments for moderate
cases of poison ivy,” says Robert Averill, M.D., a dermatologist
in western Massachusetts and northern New
Hampshire.
“It’s the classic treatment for poison ivy,” Dr. Zug agrees.
“Calamine dries up blisters, it is soothing and cooling, and
it relieves the itch.”
Vinegar Works, Too
A vinegar compress is good for drying the rash and soothing
the itching, says Robert Sommer, M.D., a dermatologist in
Portland, Maine. “Use half a cup of white vinegar. Pour it
into a pint container and add water up to the pint mark. Put
it in the refrigerator; it works best cold.” Dampen a cloth or
gauze with the cold vinegar solution and apply it to the rash,
Dr. Sommer says.
Use Milk to Shake the Itch
Dr. Sommer also recommends a cold milk compress, especially
if you have poison ivy on your face, which can be irritated
by vinegar. “You take a clean rag and soak it in whole
milk. You need whole milk for the fat,” he says. “Place the
damp rag—damp, not runny—on the rash. Leave it on for
10 to 15 minutes. The cold stops the itch, while the fat lubricates
the skin.” Dr. Sommer says to rinse off the milk with
warm water.
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It would have been nice to include a picture of poison oak too, along with the one of poison ivy.
It would have been nice if you simply took the free advice offered by Yankee and didn’t find cause to complain.
The best trick I have found to deal with the itch is the hot water treatment. Run hot water over the affected area, which will make it itch more and more, and then the itch will go away, and will stay away for hours. I’ve heard that this releases all of the histamines at once, which is why it gets itchier and then subsides. I’ve also heard that this can be a bad idea if you have it over large parts of your body, the histamines may be too much for your body to handle all at once. It’s the only thing that every gave me any lasting relief from the itch.
I lather the area with soap and let it dry. Every time the itchs starts, I repeat. This dries the poison ivy out before it gets to the blistering stage.
First -I agree that a photo of poison ivy & poison oak would be very helpful – this is NOT a complaint. It would make sense in a feature story about these plants to include a photo or illustration so we’d know what the writer is talking about. I’m curious about ‘jewelweed’ as a folk remedy – what does it look like, and what’s the botanical name so I can find out more about it. Any help would be appreciated,
After working in the yard, I wash my arms and hands with soap and water. Then I spray my hands and arms with Windex. This also helps to get rid of the oil. If I get a rash, I spray with Windex, this gets rid of the itch and helps to dry the rash. Works well.
I have really bad poision ivy right now yesterday I got a steriod shot (it hurt really bad for an hour) I do not want to go through this again. I can now say with confidence that right after working in poision Ivy/oak or what ever I have probably all kinds. You immediately wash with soap and water and then pour straight from the bottle white vinegar all over your arms and wipe your face with soaking vinegar on a paper towel then take a shower and scrub with soap and water. I have been doing this all summer and spring and now in January when I ran out of viniger and probably stayed out in the yard to long I get one of the worst rashes I have had.
I am also tring Epsom salt baths and running hot water mostly because it feels better I think I am now going to try leaving the soap on for a few minutes and see if that works as I am still blistering. Steriod pills and shot please kick in……..