Poison ivy is a shrub which can cause severe skin rash in people who are allergic to its sap which contains a toxin that causes a skin reaction. Poison oak and the sumac are similar plants that also contain the same toxin. The reaction can vary from mild to severe and the worst symptoms appear a week after contact with the resin. Wherever the plant has touched the skin, patches of red and streaky rash occur on the skin.
Later, the rash turns into red bumps which turn into large weepy blisters. There is also extreme itching and burning. The rash does not spread by the oozing fluid from the blisters so that once the resin has been washed off completely from the skin there are no chances of it spreading to the other areas of the skin. The plant oils may remain for a long time on clothing, pets, tools, shoes, and other surfaces which may have come into contact with resin so these contaminated items can cause future rashes if they are not properly cleaned before storing.
Easy Ways To Treat Poison Ivy
Aloe Vera
After washing your skin, take a fresh aloe vera leaf and after slicing away its thorny edges, slit it lengthwise in the middle. Rub the gel side on the affected skin for ten minutes.
Keep applying the gel every few hours. Aloe vera will instantly soothe the inflamed skin and will provide great relief in the itching and burning. It will also help to neutralize the poison and prevent the eruption of blisters.
Coconut Oil
Coconut oil has huge soothing and nourishing powers which can promptly calm the red and itchy rash and heal the inflamed skin rapidly. After washing off the oil from the skin, dry it well and rub plenty of coconut oil all over the affected areas.
Keep rubbing it for ten minutes so that the oil can penetrate into the skin. Apply as frequently as possible to keep your skin well soothed and free from itching.
Top Home Remedies For Poison Ivy
Natural Cure For Poison Ivy
Remove The Oil Promptly
The first step to treat poison ivy is to wash the skin thoroughly with warm water and a mild soap immediately after coming into contact with the plant. Scrub the skin well because the plant oil permeates the skin pretty rapidly.
You should also scrub under the fingernails with a brush to prevent the oil from spreading to the other parts of the body. Wash all your clothes and shoes and other tools or articles that can have the resin on them with soap and hot water.
Oatmeal
Cook some oatmeal in some water till it becomes soft and mushy. Cool the oatmeal and spread a thin layer of it on the affected skin and leave it there for an hour after which rinse it off with cold water.
Oatmeal will instantly draw out the toxin from the skin and will alleviate the itching and burning. Apply three or four times to heal the rash swiftly.
Honey
Smear a thin layer of raw honey all over the affected skin and keep it for one hour then wash it off with cold water. Apply honey three or four times to heal the skin rapidly.
Caution: Please use Home Remedies after Proper Research and Guidance. You accept that you are following any advice at your own risk and will properly research or consult healthcare professional.