Brandywine Maples

How to Identify and Treat Poison Ivy

When I was 32 weeks pregnant with my first child, I presented with the worst case of Poison Ivy that I have ever witnessed.  It was truly one of the worst acute physical ailments that I have ever experienced. Not to jinx myself…(knocks on wood). 

It took me almost a week to receive any treatment (because I was pregnant and no one wanted to treat me…) and at that point, I was covered in fish egg-like blisters from my face all the way to my toes.  I missed an entire week of work due to my mutant appearance and incessant itching on top of a tough pregnancy. I know that my immune system was slightly compromised due to my pregnancy, but that experience still gives me pause when I’m headed out to enjoy the outdoors.

Had I known what to look for and how to prevent the spread, I might not be sharing this fun story with you now.  In hopes of saving anyone that I can from what I experienced, let’s dive into some important information about how to prevent and treat Poison Ivy naturally and conventionally. 

The Facts About Poison Ivy

The first and most important thing to know is that the toxin Urushiol is what causes the allergic reaction, and you do not have to come into direct contact with the actual plant to be exposed.  The oil from the plant that contains Urushiol can cling to clothing or animal fur and rub off.  This is how I always seem to get it.  My dog goes out and finds it somewhere (even though we continually remove it from our yard) and then rubs up against me. Or I get it from his fur when I pet him.  If you come into contact with the plant or you think you have been exposed, you must wipe the area with rubbing alcohol, rinse the area with hot water, and then wash with soap.  The reason for this is that soap will not remove the oil and can actually spread it further.  The rubbing alcohol strips the oil and it comes off when you rinse with cold water. A dish soap that is meant to remove oil and grease from dishes is your best bet in a pinch. 

How to Identify the Poison Ivy Plant

You may have heard the saying “Leaves of 3, Let it be.” It refers to the appearance of the Poison Ivy plant, though it does not paint the entire picture as there are also other features that identify the plant. Additionally, there are other plants that have leaves in groups of three. In fact, there aren’t three leaves on the Poison Ivy plant. It is actually a group of three leaflets that are connected at the center. When the leaves are new, they have a reddish tint at the tips. As the leaflets mature, they turn a deep green color entirely. The edges can be smooth or jagged. 

Symptoms and Appearance

The very first symptom of this allergic reaction is an itching sensation.  It creeps up on you.  At first, it itches a little, then a lot, and then you notice red bumps.  As the rash progresses, it becomes raised and eventually blistery.  It will weep and crust over.

Itching the rash does not spread it.  Coming in contact with the rash or the fluid coming out of it will not spread it.  The ONLY way to spread poison ivy is to spread the Urushiol (in extreme and rare cases, it can be septic which would result in a full body rash).  The area with the most exposure will show a rash first and the ones that had less exposure will pop up in the days following.  It may appear that the rash is spreading, but it is not.

The reaction can last up to 3 weeks without treatment.

Treatment

If you think you have been touched by the Poison Ivy plant, you should first wash the area with Alcohol to dissolve the oil. Then wash the area with dish soap (meant to dissolve grease) and the hottest water that you can stand. If you think it is too late to prevent the rash, there are many products on the market for treating Poison Ivy.  My personal experience has been with Burt’s Bees (discontinued, unfortunately), Zanfel, Benedryl, and Aveeno Anti-itch Concentrated Lotion.  Benadryl is safe if you are pregnant or nursing, as I found out.

Other Treatments:

• Antihistamines
• Aveeno Anti-Itch Cream
• Band-Aid Anti-Itch Gel
• Cortizone 10 (OTC topical steroid)
• Colloidal Oatmeal
• Caladryl Calamine Lotion
• Domeboro Astringent Solution Powder Packets
• Itch-X Anti-Itch Gel with Soothing Aloe Vera
• Locoid cream 0.1% (prescription topical steroid)
• Triamcinolone acetonide 0.1% (prescription topical steroid)

• Ivarest Medicated Cream
• Tecnu Extreme Poison Ivy Scrub
• Zanfel Wash For Poison Ivy, Oak & Sumac
• Rubbing Alcohol
• Dish Soap
• Poison Ivy Soap

If you are out and about in nature this spring and summer, keep an eye out for the Poison Ivy plant.  Because it can be difficult to identify, it is always best to be safe rather than sorry, so avoid plants with groupings of 3 leaflets. You can also wear pants and long sleeves to protect your skin. If you think that your clothing has the oil on it, wash the clothing alone in the washing machine on the hottest water setting and a full load’s worth of detergent to break down the oil. Clean anything that cannot be washed with alcohol. 

By following these preventative measures, you should remain rash-free.

Funny Story…

As I was getting ready to post this, I was trying to be helpful and tackle a “weed” that had grown between our back storm door and inside door. We don’t use that door, so it was a very healthy weed. I opened the door, and the giant plant plopped down around my feet. Before I let it touch any more of me, I snapped a quick photo of it with a plant identification app, and to my horror, it was poison ivy. I just wrote about identifying this plant, and I just let it touch me.

So here’s what I did…

I put on gloves and got a trash bag and clippers. Then I cut the plant into pieces so that I could easily put the pieces in the trash bag without it touching me. Once I had it bagged up, I cleaned all of the surfaces that it touched with alcohol to dissolve any oil it may have left behind. Lastly, I washed myself with alcohol, dish soap, Tecnu scrub, and then regular soap. I feel like I have done everything in my power to avoid getting the rash, but I guess only time will tell. I’ll let you know if what I did worked or not.