What To Do If You Get Poison Ivy

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

EXPOSURE

If you have a brush with poison ivy, wash the affected skin with soap and cold water immediately. The oil starts penetrating the skin within 10 minutes. If oil has gotten onto your clothes, shoes or gloves, wash them separately with strong detergent.

TREATMENT

If you experience a mild rash, which can take about a week to clear up, you can treat it with over-the-counter, topical medications such as calamine lotion and hydrocortisone 1 percent lotion.

Sufferers can also soothe itchy skin by soaking in an oatmeal bath or baking soda solution, says dermatologist Melanie Costa. Antihistamines like Benadryl or Claritin may also provide temporary relief from itching, though Benadryl often causes drowsiness.
In severe cases involving blisters, visit the doctor for a prescription of more potent topical or oral steroids like cortisone.

While your reactions can worsen with repeated exposures, poison ivy is not contagious, even if you scratch open a blister and touch someone with the fluid inside. However, you can spread it upon yourself if you get urushiol on your hands and then scratch your nose or knee.

PREVENTION

New barrier skin products containing bentoquatum, which creates a clay-like barrier on the skin (Ivy Block is one example), may offer some protection.

People also can be immunized against poison ivy by taking a prescription pill made from the active extract of poison ivy. The procedure, however, can take up to four months and may be accompanied by unwelcome side effects.

On the web:

• The American Academy of Dermatology, www.aad.org/pamphlets/
  
• The Poison Ivy, Oak & Sumac Information Center, www.poisonivy.aesir.com
  
• For good images of poison ivy in various seasons, visit www.poison-ivy.org