If you are hiking in North America, you may come into contact with poison ivy which produces an itchy rash after a few days. This plant is generally recognized quite easily, but if you don't pay attention and accidentally rub yourself on a poisonous shrub or sumac (tree), you can end up with a very bad irritation, which in some cases creates fluid-filled blisters. Since scratching is only spreading and aggravating the skin reaction, it is important to avoid irritating the skin while trying to dry the blisters quickly. Once the situation is resolved, learn to recognize and not touch poisonous plants during the next walks.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Wash and Soothe the Skin
Step 1. Wash the affected area
As soon as you realize you've accidentally touched poison ivy, wash your skin with great care. Use plenty of warm, soapy water. proceed, if possible, within half an hour of the first contact. If you are still in nature, find a creek or stream to soak the area for at least 10 minutes.
- Do not neglect the area under the nails;
- If you are washing yourself at home, remove all clothes, shoes, or boots.
Step 2. Do not touch the rash
This type of injury spreads quickly even through simple contact or scratching the skin. If you have rubbed yourself on the leaves of poison ivy or have a dermatological reaction, do not touch your eyes, mouth or genitals; all parts of the plant (even if dead) contain an allergen called urusciolo which triggers blistering or severe skin irritation when you touch or inhale it.
If the rash is around your eyes, mouth, or genitals, you should see your doctor right away
Step 3. Immerse yourself in an astringent bath
If the area is covered with blisters, never break them, otherwise you put yourself at greater risk of infection and scarring. Instead, take a bath with Burow's solution. You can simply buy a product that contains a mixture of acetate and aluminum sulfate at the pharmacy. Soak the area to be treated for 20 minutes at least two to three times a day.
Burow's solution acts as an astringent by reducing the size of the bubbles and causing them to dry out
Step 4. Take a soothing bath
Fill a nylon sock or knee-high with oatmeal; tie it to the faucet and let the cold water run over this "bundle" as you fill the bathtub. Stay in the water for as long as you like.
- Studies have shown that oats are very effective in fighting itching and controlling rashes; the less you scratch the skin, the faster the blisters dry.
- You can buy a specific oat product for the bathroom, which you just dissolve in water.
Step 5. Use cold packs
Dip a clean cotton cloth in cold water, squeeze it to remove excess moisture and place it on the affected area until it stays cold; when it warms up, put it under running water again and squeeze it again. You can repeat the treatment as many times as you want.
- To make an astringent pack that dries bubbles, make some tea; soak a clean towel in the cold infusion and apply it to the skin.
- When the body temperature is higher, the itching is more intense; a cold compress reduces discomfort and soothes the skin.
Part 2 of 3: Topical Treatments
Step 1. Use an itch reliever that dries up the rash
Once you've washed off the oily allergen, you should use a substance that reduces itchiness and clears blisters quickly. You can buy calamine lotion or hydrocortisone cream at your local pharmacy; calamine dries any oozing lesion generated by contact with poison ivy, while hydrocortisone reduces redness, swelling and itching.
You can buy both at the pharmacy
Step 2. Take an over-the-counter antihistamine
Try managing the allergic reaction with an over-the-counter drug such as brompheniramine, cetirizine, chlorpheniramine, and diphenhydramine. These active ingredients block the substance that causes the allergic reaction; you should take diphenhydramine in the evening as it causes sleepiness and use cetirizine or loratadine during the day.
Always respect the instructions in the leaflet regarding the methods of use
Step 3. Apply an astringent that dries oozing skin
It is not easy to resist the temptation to touch the bubbles, especially if they are large. To reduce its size and drain the fluid, prepare an astringent paste; mix baking soda with enough water to make a paste and apply it directly to the rash or blisters. If contact dermatitis is extensive, pour 200 g of baking soda into a tub of cold water and soak for half an hour.
To manage small rashes, dab some witch hazel or apple cider vinegar on the affected area. you can also put a black or green tea bag in the water and then place it on the skin
Step 4. Get medical attention
Although the worst phase of the rash is during the first few days, the reaction resolves within a few weeks. If it affects a large area of skin or the itching is very severe (even after various treatments), call your doctor; you may need prescription steroids or antihistamines to take by mouth. You should call your doctor if:
- You have a fever higher than 38 ° C;
- Dermatitis is suppurative or is covered with soft yellow crusts;
- Itching gets worse or prevents you from sleeping
- You don't notice any improvement within a few weeks.
Part 3 of 3: Recognizing and Avoiding Poison Ivy
Step 1. Distinguish poison ivy from other leafy plants
Typically, it grows as a creeper or as a shrub that features "clusters" of three leaves. In English there is the saying "Leaves of three, let it be", which means "leave alone the plants that have leaves in groups of three". However, there are other plants that have three leaves from a single stem (blueberry, raspberry, American maple); the main difference is the central leaf which, in poison ivy, grows from a single longer stem. This toxic plant is typically glossy with reddish leaves or red stems.
To understand if the plant you are looking at is poisonous, look for hairy tendrils on the main vine that allow the ivy to grow and develop upward
Step 2. Learn to recognize the native plants of the area
Poison ivy can grow year-round in most of the United States; in Italy it is not as widespread, but it is still present in some places. For example, poisonous oak or sumac might grow in the area you want to hike. If you are in the US, here is some useful general information:
- In the eastern regions the tendril grows on the ground, but can develop upwards by climbing on supports;
- In the western regions it grows only on the ground;
- The poison oak present in the Pacific regions has the appearance of a shrub, climber or tendril that remains at ground level;
- The one that grows in the Atlantic regions remains on the ground, while the shrub versions are not very common;
- Poison sumac is a small tree found in wetlands.
Step 3. Inspect the body for rashes
If you have touched poison ivy, the allergic reaction should appear within a few minutes to a few hours (12-24 hours) from the time when the oily allergen (urusciolo) has moved to the epidermis. The skin becomes red, swollen and itchy; you may notice a striped distribution based on how the leaves have rubbed on the body. Fluid-filled blisters may form but do not spread the rash.
Don't be surprised if it takes up to three days for you to notice the symptoms of the allergic reaction
Step 4. Put on protective clothing
If you know that the area you are going to is infested with this plant or you are cleaning up the garden, wear clothes that prevent the oil from reaching the epidermis; choose long-sleeved shirts and long pants, wear socks, boots and vinyl gloves.
If your clothes have become contaminated with uruscium, wash them as soon as possible and do not touch them with your bare hands; you should also always wash your hiking footwear and equipment to get rid of poison ivy irritants
Step 5. Pay attention to places where you allow pets to roam
If you have a four-legged friend who likes to jump through bushes or who lives mostly outdoors, be aware that their fur could be accidentally contaminated with toxic oil; if this reaches your skin (for example the one on your abdomen), it could trigger contact dermatitis. If you stroke or hold the animal, you could expose yourself to uruscium and develop a skin rash.
Pay attention to the places where the animal goes; if you notice that it has touched poison ivy, put on a pair of gloves and wash it to remove the stinging oil from the fur and prevent it from spreading
Step 6. Apply a protective barrier
Before going to natural environments, you should spread a skin product that prevents the allergen from coming into contact with bare skin; you can buy it at pharmacies, drugstores and sporting goods stores, but check that it contains at least 5% bentoquatam. Spread a thick layer of cream for 15 minutes before the hike.
