Poison ivy is discovered throughout the US (aside from Alaska and Hawaii). When you may come into contact with it whereas mountain climbing within the woods, poison ivy grows nearly in all places — alongside roadsides, on fences, in backyards.
Poison ivy leaves develop in clusters of three on vines that may develop up into timber or path alongside the bottom. The oily compound referred to as urushiol is what causes poison ivy’s infamous rash, and that is present in each a part of the plant: the vine, the roots, the leaves, the flowers, and the berries.
The compound can also be present in different crops that trigger rashes (extra on these crops beneath).
As much as 90 p.c of people that come into contact with the poison ivy oil find yourself with irritation.
A poison ivy rash sometimes seems just a few days after publicity. If that is your first time in touch with the plant, it might take every week or two. When it does, you’ll comprehend it: You may even see crimson pores and skin, swelling and blisters may develop, and also you’ll really feel a critical itch.
Relying in your pores and skin tone and sensitivity, redness is frequent, alongside continued, extreme itching and swelling within the first few days, adopted by blisters breaking and leaking fluid. Blisters will crust over, and the rash will ultimately dissipate with two to a few weeks.
You may discover the rash in several components of your physique after publicity. As a result of the rash is brought on by the oil of the plant, it’s probably that you just touched an uncovered space after which one other physique half, spreading the oil. This could additionally happen should you touched one other one who had been uncovered or dealt with a software that had touched the plant.
You can not get the rash from touching one other particular person’s rash or from an expressed poison ivy blister, except there may be nonetheless oil from the plant left behind.
To deal with a poison ivy rash at dwelling, Viktoryia Kazlouskaya, MD, PhD, a dermatologist at Dermatology Circle in New York Metropolis, says to instantly wash the realm with cleaning soap and water. Maintain the water cool to keep away from additional opening pores.
Use a cleaning soap designed to handle poison ivy oils, dish cleaning soap, and even laundry detergent. Whichever you select, be mild, as rubbing the oil into your pores and skin results in the response.
A robust corticosteroid pores and skin cream or ointment might help with the irritation. Your physician might prescribe different treatment if the irritation is extreme, to both suppress your immune system or to assist additional scale back the response. Anti-itch topical lotions, comparable to calamine lotion, may assist.
