Do you think you might have touched some poison ivy, poison oak or sumac? The cause for skin itch, rash and blisters after having contact with poison ivy, poison oak or sumac is a chemical in their sap known as urushiol. Urushiol can penetrate the skin within minutes, so there’s no time to waste if you think you’ve been exposed. And the treatment for relief are all three poisonous plants are the same.
After you’ve been exposed complete the following steps, the first two should be done outdoors if possible:
- Cleanse all exposed skin areas with a generous amount of rubbing alcohol and avoid any new contact because alcohol removes your skin’s protection allowing for urushiol to penetrate more quickly.
- Wash your skin with just plain water, don’t use soap because it can pick up the urushiol and spread it around.
- Take a shower using soap and warm water, be sure to clean thoroughly under your fingernails.
- Wipe down everything that may be contaminated with urushiol using alcohol and water.
Skin is so sensitive that cleansing doesn’t help unless these steps are taken soon after your exposure to poison ivy, poison oak or sumac. Without cleansing, skin redness and swelling may appear in about 12 to 48 hours after exposure, with blisters and intense skin itching to follow.
Your rash will only occur where urushiol has touched your skin, and scratching does not spread it. The reason breakouts may appear over time is because different parts of your body have varying absorption rates.
The rash and blisters normally go away in about 2-3 weeks without any treatment. Treatment for relief of skin itch are:
- wet compresses
- OTC antihistamines
- soaking in cool water
- OTC topical corticosteroids
You could try Australian Tea Tree Oil as a natural treatment for relief for your itchy skin. And OTC calamine lotion helps dry up your oozing blisters.
About 85 percent of the population will develop an allergic reaction if exposed to poison ivy, oak or sumac, usually after several encounters with these plants.