Treating Poison Ivy or Poison Oak at Home

Posted by sanjay on Thursday 30 Apr 2009

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Poison ivy or poison oak is an allergy often caused by a plant known as ivy. Oak and sumac are the other two plants that may cause the allergy. It affects a lot of people in the United States. Close to 10 million people in the United States are suspected to be allergic to it.

Poison ivy or poison oak would be experienced on those parts of the body which are exposed to atmospheric conditions. The plants would be found in the countryside, gardens or the woods. Uncovered parts of the body like hands, arms, face or uncovered legs and feet are susceptible to exposure.

You may not get in direct contact with the plant; even if your pet happened to touch it accidentally, it may infect you. The smoke emanating from a burnt plant can also cause irritation of the throat or affect your respiratory tract.

Symptoms
Poison ivy often causes a lot of itching which is accompanied by pain. It can cause redness and rashes to the infected areas. Continuous and excessive scratching may lead to bleeding.

Treatment
The first thing you should do is apply cold compresses on the affected body part. Soak a piece of cotton in cold water, drain excess water and keep it on the affected area until the water evaporates. Keep repeating the procedure till you begin to feel relief. To hasten evaporation you may sit under a fan and apply the cold compress. As the water evaporates and your skin cools you will soon begin to feel better. This soothes the skin irritation and is promotes faster healing.

You can also directly apply aloe vera to the affected parts. Application of tofu juice or watermelon rind can reduce the redness of the skin and the accompanying itching. Apply a paste of baking powder and water in a ratio of three to one to achieve relief. Another natural way of treating poison ivy is to apply the milk of a milkweed plant to the area.