Poison Ivy: Symptoms & Treatment

Poison ivy is a hazard year-round. However, reactions to this poisonous plant are much more common in the warmer months when children are playing outdoors and adults are tending their lawns. The symptoms of poison ivy can emerge any time from a few hours to several days after exposure. Keep reading to find out more about poison ivy, including its symptoms and treatment options.

What Is Poison Ivy?

Poison ivy is a plant that can be found throughout most of the United States. It can grow as a vine or small shrub along the ground, or it can be found climbing along trees and poles. Poison ivy can most easily be identified by its leaves. Each leaf has three glossy leaflets with either smooth or toothed edges. In summer, these leaves are green. They may be reddish in spring and orange, yellow, or red in fall. Whitish-yellow berries and greenish-white flowers may also be found on poison ivy plants.

Poison Ivy Symptoms

If you come into contact with poison ivy, you may develop a poison ivy rash. This is caused by an allergic reaction to an oily resin called urushiol that’s found in the roots, stems, and leaves of poison ivy. The severity of your reaction depends on the amount of urushiol that gets on your skin. Symptoms may include:

• Itching
• Swelling
• Redness
• Blisters
• Difficulty breathing (if you’ve inhaled smoke from burning poison ivy)

Poison ivy rashes often occur in a straight line due to how the plant brushes against the skin. However, you can also develop a rash after touching an object that has urushiol on it, such as clothing or pet fur, which can make the rash more spread out.

Is Poison Ivy Contagious?

Poison ivy rashes cannot be spread from one person to another. It is, however, possible to have a reaction to urushiol that may be on clothing, garden tools, pets, and other items that were in contact with the plant. You can also transfer the oil from one part of the body to another with your fingers. This oil can linger on surfaces until it is washed off with water or rubbing alcohol.

It’s important to note that scratching a poison ivy rash will not make it spread on the body, even if the blisters break. It may just seem like it’s spreading if it appears over time instead of all at once. This can be because the oil is absorbed at different rates on different body parts or one part of the body may have been repeatedly exposed.

How to Treat Poison Ivy

Poison ivy can often be treated at home. The rash will typically go away on its own in two to three weeks. To help control the itching, you can apply over-the-counter cortisone creams or calamine lotion. A great home remedy is to soak in a cool-water oatmeal bath or a bath with half a cup of baking soda mixed in. A cool, wet compress may also be applied to the affected area for 15 to 30 minutes several times a day. Oral antihistamines such as Allegra, Claritin, and Benadryl can help control the histamine reaction to reduce itching.

If the rash is widespread or causes a lot of blisters, your healthcare provider may prescribe medication. An oral corticosteroid can help reduce swelling, and an oral antibiotic may be prescribed if a bacterial infection has developed.

Compounded Poison Ivy Cream at Kizer Pharmacy

Here at Kizer Pharmacy, we offer innovative poison ivy treatments to help you find the relief you need. We can compound poison ivy cream to reduce itching, pain, and inflammation. These compounds can be customized to meet your unique needs. To learn more about poison ivy treatment options, please reach out to us today.