Poison Ivy Relief

Poison ivy relief varies from case to case, since some people have a more severe reaction than others.  Some people develop a horrible, blistering rash and must visit a doctor for treatment.  Others experience only mild itching, and can apply ointment or lotion on the area for relief.  

Sometimes over the counter medicine such as hydrocortisones can be used for treatment as well.  However, calamine lotion doesn’t ALWAYS work, as everyone’s case is different.

The most obvious form of poison ivy relief is prevention, but not everyone knows how to identify it, and those that do can sometimes expose themselves to it incidentally.  If you’re ever outside and believe that you’re being exposed to poison ivy or oak, you need to clean your skin immediately.  First, you need to apply alcohol by rubbing it on the affected area.  Next, you need to rinse with water, and then finally, you need to wash the area with soap or dish washing liquid.

Don’t worry about giving anyone in your family poison ivy, as it is not contagious.  The itching and rash are caused by an active chemical in the plants called urushiol.  Don’t worry the rash spreading to other areas of your body, either—the urushiol is only present on the area where the bumps are forming.   Obviously, this makes poison ivy relief easy, since the problem stays on one area of your body.

Sometimes, extra relief may be needed.  Fortunately, there are many home remedies that help provide relief for poison ivy. 

Here are some tips for relieving the itching and irritation.

• Pouring cold coffee on the rash can sometimes be helpful.
• A paste of water and baking soda can be spread on the affected area for relief.
• Applying vinegar on the rash by rubbing it over the skin on a cotton ball can help.
• Aloe vera can be rubbed onto the affected area.  It should be gently washed off after drying and then reapplied every couple of hours.

Oatmeal is always helpful for itching problems.  Bathing with oatmeal mixed in lukewarm water can help sooth irritated skin.

In the end, the very best poison ivy relief is water and soap.  You need to thoroughly wash the affected area the moment you realize you’ve been exposed to urushiol.  If washing doesn’t seem to help, and none of the natural remedies seem to be working, then you may need to visit a doctor for some shots.