Poison Ivy Information

Getting poison ivy is quite the nightmare. If you happen to be one of the many people who are allergic to it, read on for some helpful poison ivy information.

The most important preventive measure is learning how to identify poison ivy. Unfortunately, poison ivy is not brightly colored or strange looking, but rather looks rather generic, making it harder to pick out amongst a group of other plants. Its main quality is that it is grouped into clusters of three leaves, with the middle leaf having a longer stem than the two on the sides. The edges can be jagged or smooth. In general, if you see a green three-leafed plant growing, avoid it if you do not know for sure what it is or is not.

If you accidentally are exposed to poison ivy, keep in mind that the oil (called urushiol) is what causes an allergic reaction, and it is quite potent. It can actually stay active on surfaces for up to five years, so anything you were wearing that may have touched the plant, including shoes, should immediately be washed well. You should also take a shower as soon as you can, as soap may be able to wash the oil off before it bonds with your skin. Even if washing does not prevent the oil from bonding, it may at least be able to prevent it from spreading. If you do end up getting poison ivy, be aware that you will not spread it by scratching it, as long as the oil has been washed off your skin. In addition, it is not contagious to others.

You have a few options for dealing with the itching once you have poison ivy. There are many products out there that will help relieve the itching temporarily, such as calamine lotion. You can also find products that are purported to help dry up the itchy blisters quickly.

Hopefully this information will help ease your poison ivy woes in the future! For more useful poison Ivy information, see the following articles: -