What is Poison Ivy and How to Treat It

Poison ivy is known as toxicodendron radicans. It is a plant the grows on a vine or shrub. Poison ivy grows in nearly every state in the United States and in some Canadian provinces. Some people are highly allergic to poison ivy. Here are some tips on what to look for and how to treat it.

What Poison Ivy Looks Like

Poison ivy either grows down low on the ground or in a hairy climbing vine attached to something like a tree. It is a plant that grows in leaves of three from a stem. The leaves are light to dark green and in the fall turn a reddish color.

When a person touches a poison ivy plant, the oil from the plant called urushiol sticks to the skin. Within a couple of days of contact with the ivy, a person will start to get red rash and it will be swollen. A few days after the rash starts, blisters will start popping up and will be itchy. Do not scratch it. It could become infected.

How to Treat Poison Ivy

When a person knows they have come in contact with poison ivy, they should wash the area with plain cool water as soon as possible. Do not use soap to wash the exposed area. Since urushiol is an oil, the soap will make it move around on the body. After washing with just plain cool water, they can then take a shower with soap and warmer water. The key is to get the oil off of the body as soon as possible. Wash any clothing or shoes that have come in contact with the poison ivy as well.

Some people are highly allergic to the plant and have to get medical treatment for it. If the person starts to run a fever, has a rash on the face or around the genitals, or the rash does not go away, it is a good time to see the doctor. With others, it is just a matter of weeks before the rash will go away on its own.

Just remember that the poison ivy oils can be carried on the family pet, clothes, shoes and any other thing that can come in contact with the plant. If someone is burning the ivy plant, do not breath in the smoke. as this can cause a rash as well.

For more information about poison ivy read treating poison ivy organically and poison ivy.

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