How to Treat Poison Ivy

Ever been enjoying yourself having a fun time in the woods or camping only to find out hours later that you have been exposed to the oils of the poison ivy plant? Most people brake out with a rash when exposed to this plant and if you find yourself in need of some tips when dealing with this three leafed "monster" then your in the right place. Keep in mind that poison ivy takes some time for it to truly leave your body (2-3 weeks) so be prepared for the temptation to scratch knowing in doing so will make it spread and stay on your body longer. If your ready to begin I'm going to put explain some tips that will help make this "disease" go away faster as well as make you feel more comfortable.

1.)Never take a hot shower . When dealing with poison ivy it's best to take cold showers as hot water will make your pours open allowing the oils to spread faster. Cold water of course does the opposite as it closes the pours making it harder for the oil to escape and spread throughout your body.

2.)Clip your fingernails. The longer you have the rashes on your body the more you feel you need to scratch to relive this itching. So by clipping your fingernails you will help minimize the chances of releasing the oil from the rash.

3.)Be clean and frequently wash your hands. If you happen to scratch your rash from the ivy your hands now become a carrier for this "disease" and anything you happen to touch will have traces of the ivy. In worst case scenario, you have finally got rid of the poison ivy from your body, but you touch your computer keyboard that was infected by your hands then it could be possible that since you have come into contact with it again that you may get it again. Just remember "better safe than sorry".

4.)If you feel the need to relive the itching then soak in water with salt. It is said that the salt can relive some of the itching, so if you are looking for relive the itching then try this out and see if it works for you.

5.)Calamine lotion your new "best friend". Until you get rid of the poison ivy calamine lotion is going to be your new best friend. This medicine will help stop itching as well as help make the poison ivy go away faster.

6.)Don't take a bath instead take a shower. Always take a shower instead of a bath as the oils in the ivy can float on top of water allowing it to re-attach itself back on your flesh.

That's it if you follow all of these guideline and have a little bit of patience then your body will slowly but surely be back to normal then you can spend all your time thinking of a way to apologize to your best friend for cheating on him/her with "It" (Calamine lotion).