Tips to Prevent Poison Oak or Ivy

(Dr. Weil)
These are some great tips, but also if it gets very bad see the doctor! They have stronger medicines that help.

If you enjoy camping out in the spring and summer, you should be aware of poison ivy.  Along with poison oak and sumac, this non-flowering plant can cause severe allergic reactions, resulting in an intensely itchy, red rash with bumps or blisters. Once you make contact with poison ivy, try the following to minimize symptoms:

1. Avoid touching other parts of your body. This is especially important immediately after exposure, since the irritating oils can be transferred to other areas.
2. Rinse affected areas with plenty of cold water immediately after exposure to flush out oils, or wash with rubbing alcohol.
3. Use an over-the-counter product known as Tecnu lotion, which works well to remove oils up to 24 hours after contact.
4. If the itching has begun to develop, run hot water - as hot as you can stand - on the affected areas. The itching will briefly become intense, but then will stop for several hours, as the nerves that convey the sensory information to the brain become overloaded and quit. Repeat the hot water treatment as necessary.
5. Relieve itching with calamine lotion and aloe vera gel.
6. Try witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) to treat poison ivy blisters. Available in liquid distillation, it can be found at any drug store and can be safely used by both adults and children.

Keep in mind that serious cases of poison ivy require medical supervision and prescription treatment - contact your physician if you run a fever of 101 degrees or higher, if blisters ooze pus, or if the rash is widespread or near sensitive areas such as eyes, mouth or genitals. For more information, visit the Condition Care Guide.