Most poison ivy cases go away on their own within 1 to 3 weeks. After about a week, the blisters should begin to dry out and the rash will begin to disappear. Severe cases can last longer, have worse symptoms, and cover more of the body. Poison ivy treatments often include self-care methods at home.
And the rash usually goes away on its own in two to three weeks. You can treat mild cases of poison ivy rash at home with soothing lotions and cool baths. You may need prescription medication for a severe or generalized rash, especially if it occurs on the face or genitals. The skin usually becomes red, itchy, and swollen, and blisters appear.
After a few days, the blisters may crust and begin to peel off. It can take 2 to 3 weeks for a rash people get from poison ivy to heal. Most poisonous plant eruptions cause mild (but annoying) symptoms that go away in a week or two. Rarely, a rash lasts longer than a month.
Scratching can open the skin and cause an infection. A rash caused by poison ivy, poison oak, or sumac is caused by an oil found in these plants called urushiol. When this oil comes into contact with the skin, it often causes a blistering, itchy rash. Most people can safely treat the rash at home.
Bacteria from under the nails can penetrate them and cause an infection. Rashes, blisters, and itching usually go away in several weeks without any treatment. Although the rash may go away on its own in 1 to 3 weeks, your skin will feel better if you take some steps at home. The sap of the poison ivy plant, also known as Toxicodendron radicans, contains an oil called urushiol.
Calming burn treatment can also relieve itching and inflammation on skin affected by a poison ivy rash. Poison ivy rash often appears in a straight line because of the way the plant rubs against the skin. The rash occurs only where the vegetable oil has been in contact with the skin, so a person with poison ivy cannot spread it through the body by scratching. If you touch poison ivy with a pair of pants or a shirt and don't wash it after contact, you could develop another rash if you touch clothes.
Poison ivy is native to all states except California, Alaska, and Hawaii, and can also be found in Central America, Mexico, and Canada. More than 4 in 5 people will develop an itchy, red, inflamed skin rash when they come in contact with poison ivy and its urushiol oil. You probably don't need medical treatment for a poison ivy rash, unless it spreads widely, persists for more than a few weeks, or becomes infected. A number of other essential oils, such as calendula, chamomile, and eucalyptus, may be helpful in reducing symptoms of poison ivy rash.
Finding poison ivy is easy in the United States, where it grows virtually everywhere except Alaska, Hawaii, and some desert areas of the southwest. If you scratch a poison ivy rash, bacteria under your nails can cause skin to become infected. The leaves of the poison ivy plant are green in summer, but may turn red, orange, or yellow in spring and fall. However, it is possible to get poison ivy rash if you touch the plant resin that is still on the person or contaminated clothing.
You can also spread the oil to another person if it comes into contact with clothing that has been in contact with poison ivy. If the rash comes from poison ivy or a similar plant, your doctor may tell you to take cold showers and use a soothing lotion, such as calamine lotion. .
