First of all, manage your expectations. Of course you'd like to cure that poison ivy rash overnight. Unfortunately, it's going to take longer than that. It takes about a week to go away, and if 7 to 10 days have passed and it doesn't improve, see a doctor.
Poison ivy treatments often include self-care methods at home. And the rash usually goes away on its own in two to three weeks. 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, poison oak, and poison sumac are a year-round hazard. Here are some tips for preventing and treating itchy rashes and blisters. 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. The skin and everything else that is contaminated should be washed immediately to rinse the urushiol. Over time, the rash will go away on its own, but you should see a doctor if you have a fever or if the rash spreads to your eyes, mouth, and genitals.
If you touch a poison ivy plant with your hands, for example, and then touch your face or body, you'll see a rash both at the original point of contact and in the places you touched. Poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac produce urushiol, an oily sap that causes an allergic reaction when it comes into contact with the skin. 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. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, a poison ivy rash can last three weeks or longer if you've never experienced it before.
While working in the backyard, you pulled out some unwanted weeds before realizing that one of them was poison ivy. If you have a poison ivy rash or blisters, scratching can cause skin breaks that can become infected. A rash occurs only where vegetable oil has been in contact with the skin, so a person with poison ivy cannot spread it through the body by scratching. It is also possible to experience the effects of poison ivy if burned, as the oil is transported in the smoke.
It's important to note that there are over-the-counter products that are marketed to reduce symptoms of poison ivy rash, but their effectiveness is rarely supported by well-controlled clinical trials, Jelesko says. However, you should contact your doctor if the rash does not go away with home treatment, if the rash worsens, or if this is the first time you have experienced a poison ivy rash. If your skin comes into contact with urushiol, either directly from poison ivy or other objects that may have rubbed against it, you may develop an inflamed, itchy rash with blisters.
