Poison Ivy Cures

Poison ivy rash may cause blisters, swelling, pain and itching due to coming in contact with poison ivy. Poison ivy rashes may not appear until a couple of days of being exposed to poison ivy. That being said, many individuals with a poison ivy rash may not even know they have one.

Poison ivy comes in many different forms and some plants are similar looking. Various mnemonic rhymes describe the characteristic appearance of poison ivy:

1. “Leaves of three, let it be.”
2. “One, two, three? Don’t touch me.”
3. “Hairy vine, no friend of mine.”
4. “Berries white, run in fright” and “Berries white, danger in sight.”
5. “Raggy rope, don’t be a dope!” Poison ivy vines on trees have a furry “raggy” appearance. This rhyme warns tree climbers to be wary.
6. “Longer middle stem, stay away from them.” This refers to the middle leaflet having a notably longer stem than the two side leaflets.
7. “Red leaflets in the spring, it’s a dangerous thing.” This refers to the red appearance that new leaflets sometimes have in the spring. (Note that later, in the summer, the leaflets are green, making them tougher to distinguish from other plants, while in autumn they can be reddish-orange.)
8. “Side leaflets like mittens, will itch like the dickens.” This refers to the appearance of some, but not all, poison ivy leaves, where each of the two side leaflets has a small notch that makes the leaflet look like a mitten with a “thumb.” (Note that this rhyme should not be misinterpreted to mean that only the side leaflets will cause itching, since actually all parts of the plant can cause itching.)
9. “If butterflies land there, don’t put your hand there.” This refers to the fact that some butterflies land on poison ivy, since they are not affected, which provides them protection as their predators avoid eating the plant.

Skin irritation, redness, and intense itching are signs or poison ivy symptoms. As these rashes progress, fluid filled blisters appear and the itching may get worse at this point. Treatment of poison ivy rashes are to dry out the damaged skin and blisters while minimizing the itching, swelling, and discomfort.

This can include using a hair dryer on a low setting and letting the warm dry air flow over the poison ivy rash, which will help dry out the fluid in the blisters as well as the skin. This allows the skin to fall off faster so that healthy skin can replace it. Baking soda or vinegar can both help dry out the rash as well, while stopping any itching.

Over the counter pain medicines can aid with pain and discomfort from poison ivy rashes. Hydrocortosone creams can be very helpful in stopping the itching, reduce the redness and inflamation caused by poinson ivy rash. If the rash develops any unusual or abnormal swelling or other symptoms you should contact your doctor.