DIY Poison Ivy Remedy
Adam Rosenberg via Flickr
A rash from poison ivy is caused by an oil found in the plant called urushiol. When this oil touches your skin, it often causes an itchy, blistering rash. Most people can safely treat the rash at home. However, if you experience any of the following symptoms, go to the emergency room right away;
- You have trouble breathing or swallowing.
- The rash covers most of your body.
- You have many rashes or blisters.
- You experience swelling, especially if an eyelid swells shut.
- The rash develops anywhere on your face or genitals.
- Much of your skin itches, or nothing seems to ease the itch.
What poison ivy looks like:
- Each leaf has 3 small leaflets.
- It grows as a shrub (low woody plant) in the far Northern and Western United States, Canada, and around the Great Lakes.
- It grows as a vine in the East, Midwest, and South of the United States.
- In spring, it grows yellow-green flowers.
- It may have green berries that turn off-white in early fall.
Poison ivy or oak is the same as a chemical burn. If you come in contact with either plant, everything you are wearing must be washed. Most laundry detergents and dish soaps work well but it has to be labeled “grease cutting!” Also, all of the bedding needs to be washed as if you come into contact with either the ivy or oak, the poison can stay on your shoes or anything else that touches it for up to a year! A YEAR! How crazy is that?! To find out how to get your own remedy click the link below for the full tutorial….