You should not apply a topical antihistamine to your skin, as doing so can worsen the rash and the itch.Ī rash from poison ivy, oak or sumac usually lasts one to three weeks. These pills can help reduce itching, however use with caution. Then, apply the cool cloth to the itchy skin. You can make a cool compress by wetting a clean washcloth with cold water and wringing it out so that it does not drip.

Apply cool compresses to the itchy skin.

If you have a mild case, a hydrocortisone cream or lotion may also help.

Consider calamine lotion or hydrocortisone cream. Apply calamine lotion to skin that itches.

Taking short, cool showers may also help.

You can also draw a bath and add one cup of baking soda to the running water.

Take short, lukewarm baths. To ease the itch, take short, lukewarm baths in a colloidal oatmeal preparation, which you can buy at your local drugstore.

Leave blisters alone. If blisters open, do not remove the overlying skin, as the skin can protect the raw wound underneath and prevent infection.

Do not scratch, as scratching can cause an infection.

Be sure to rinse your pet’s fur, and wash tools and other objects with warm, soapy water. Besides clothing, the oil from poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac can stick to many surfaces, including gardening tools, golf clubs, leashes and even a pet’s fur.

Wash everything that may have the oil on its surface.

The oil can stick to clothing, and if it touches your skin, it can cause another rash. Thoroughly wash all of the clothes you were wearing when you came into contact with the poisonous plant. This helps ensure that the oil does not spread to other areas of the body and cause additional rashes. If you can rinse your skin immediately after touching poison ivy, poison oak, or poison sumac, you may be able to rinse off some of the oil.

Immediately rinse your skin with lukewarm, soapy water.

If you are not experiencing a serious reaction, dermatologists recommend the following tips for treating the rash and easing the itch: However, if you have difficulty breathing or swallowing, you experience swelling, or you have many rashes or blisters, go to the emergency room right away. If you are absolutely certain that your rash is due to poison ivy, poison oak, or poison sumac, and if the rash appears on a small section of your skin, you may be able to treat the rash at home. Fortunately, there are simple steps people can take to safely treat the rash at home. Although the rash itself is not contagious, the oil can spread to other areas of the body and from person to person if not quickly washed off after touching the plants. When the oil from these plants touches the skin, most people (about 85 percent) develop an itchy, blistering rash. As summer approaches and the landscape turns greener, so too are the leaves from poison ivy, poison oak and poison sumac.

Poison oak rash description dermatology