Poison Ivy Treatment and Important Notes

Poison Ivy Treatment Notes:

First of all, not any rash that looks like poison ivy is actually poison ivy. There are some similarly looking rashes, including: heat rash, allergic rash (when the culprit is another allergen and not the urushiol from the Poison Ivy plant). Furthermore, even scabies may sometimes resemble an urushiol-induced rash with their appearance. If you have any suspicions that what you are observing might be something else, you should first visit a doctor, because other conditions will require a different treatment other than a poison ivy treatment.

Further, if the patient is a child, it’s also better to first turn to a doctor before starting any kind of treatment. Most folk remedies are harmless, and they may be safely administered to a child, including: baking soda and water paste, a bath with oatmeal, oatmeal and water paste, and a few others. However, there are more dangerous remedies, including topical steroid medications and antihistamines that require you to first consult with a doctor.

Also, if it’s a severe rash, you need to immediately contact a doctor in order to avoid any bad consequences. If you have large watery blisters, and you are not receiving the proper treatment (potent topical steroids, oral steroids, or steroid shots), you may end up with severe scarring on the spots where you had the blisters. Further, you may develop a dangerous secondary infection in the case of a severe rash.

Poison Ivy Treatment:

Good poison ivy treatments are always directed at the following: relieving the itch, destroying the remainders of urushiol on the skin, and helping the skin to rejuvenate faster. Many home remedies are capable of helping you with that if you are an adult with a mild case of poison ivy dermatitis.

Hot and cold temperatures are one of the best ways to soothe the itching. When our body receives a signal of unusual heat or coldness, it starts to pay more attention to this higher-ranked signal than to the lower-ranked “itch” signal. That’s why many people use their blow-dryers, take hot/cold showers, and use cold compresses and ice packs. All these methods will make the body start noticing temperature sensations, and ignore the itch. Cold additionally constricts the blood vessels and helps to slow down the inflammatory processes in the affected area.

Poison ivy treatment includes OTC medicines that fight the itch and destroy its culprit – urushiol, additionally helping the skin to regenerate faster. Good topical medicines include: 1% Hydrocortisone cream, poison ivy scrubs, anti-itch creams, poison ivy washes and towelettes.

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