Relieve The Itching Of Poison Ivy
Poison Ivy Image courtesy of Pixabay.com |
If you have ever had the poison ivy rash, you know it itches like crazy and sometimes even becomes painful. I have always been super sensitive to the plant and try to avoid it as much as possible. We had just had some dead trees removed and I have a feeling some vines were disturbed in the process and it doesn't take much for me to react. I once had it on my face from the oil being airborne from a farmer mowing a ditch and all I did was stop to say hi with my window down. That is all it took.
When I was a kid, we used Calamine lotion. That pink stuff that looked awful but worked. Today, we have Caladryl that comes in a clear gel which is nice because it isn't so unsightly. It works the same relieving the itching, helps dry up the rash, and relieves the pain a little. I'm so sensitive that I also take some benadryl and an occasional Tylenol but you may not need that.
The rash is caused from an allergic reaction to the oil found on the leaves, stem and roots of the poison ivy plant. The rash will appear where the oil has come in contact with the skin. I always wear gloves and wash my hands immediately after working in the yard but I didn't consider that it might have gotten on my shirt while working with that brush. I had spent a couple of hours cleaning up the mess that the tree removal guys left and did remove the shirt and shower but apparently not soon enough. The oil had already began to work on my skin. Ugh! It isn't fun!
If you find you have had a reaction to poison ivy, sumac or oak; relief can be found with the Caladryl Gel. You can use it up to 3 or 4 times a day. Wash the area with warm soap and water, apply the gel and within 5 to 10 days you should see the rash starting to go away. Contrary to popular belief, you can not spread the rash by washing it or applying a lotion. It sometimes appears that it is spreading but that is more from the oil and your reaction. The area that was exposed the most will show up first and the area with less contact may take a little longer to show the rash. The little blisters in the rash do not contain the oil and will not spread the rash.
Be careful out there and try to not expose yourself to the plant but if you do, I hope this little review will help you with the rash.