Tips on Treating Poison Oak and Poison Ivy

Recently, during one of our family hikes in the N.C. mountains, my children were exposed to poison oak or poison ivy, our physician really wasn't sure which one it was. Not that it really mattered to them, the overwhelming itching was almost unbearable. And as hard I fought to keep them from scratching those tell tale red welts rapidly developing on their skin, the more I could see the signs of them vigorously scratching and the rash spreading over their little bodies.

Poison oak is caused when your skin is exposed to a toxin that is found in some plants, this toxin is called Urushiol. It is found primarily in the Western and Southwestern United States. The signs that you have been in contact with these toxins would be a very itchy rash that develops rapidly and spreads all over your entire body. A skin condition called dermatitis is the result of your skin coming in direct contact with this poison. There are many ways to treat the condition and to help you ease the annoying, often painful symptoms of poison oak.

You need to immediately remove any clothing items or anything that has come in direct contact with the toxins and wash in very hot water. To neutralize the toxins, soak a washrag in vinegar and rub the rag over the affected areas on your skin, allow this to dry. This also works by helping to ease the intense itching of poison oak and poison ivy. Cool, wet compresses placed upon the effected areas can also help to relieve the itching and redness associated with poison oak and poison ivy.

Eliminating fried foods and candy from your diet while you are experiencing any symptoms of poison oak can benefit your condition greatly. These foods can impede the natural ability of your body to rid itself of toxins that cause poison oak or poison ivy. Have one cup of jewelweed tea every morning before breakfast. This tea is very powerful and can help rid your blood of the toxins from the poison oak or poison ivy. You can purchase it at any local health food store. If the itching that is associated with poison oak is driving you insane, soak yourself in a warm bathtub filled with baking soda or Epsom salts for about 30 minutes. This has been known to relieve the itching and redness. You can also make a paste with these by mixing with just a little vinegar and applying it directly to the areas on your skin that are red, swollen and itchy. You can also apply a thin layer of oatmeal paste before you go to bed at night.

Choose lotions that contain calamine and alcohol, these will dry up those blisters caused by the poison oak and help to speed up the healing of your skin. If a very large portion of your body is affected or you are experiencing an overwhelming amount of pain or swelling, you may need to talk to your physician about taking an oral antihistamine. It is very important to always leave the rash open so that it is exposed to the fresh air. This speeds healing and also helps with the pain and itching. Do not break the blisters that develop because they can become infected and this can also cause the rash to spread to other parts of your body. Another wonderful idea that I found seemed to work with my kids was to have them drink a 12 oz glass of aloe Vera juice 3 times a day. The aloe Vera helps to sooth the tissues in the body and keeps the blisters from spreading. It doesn't taste all that great but it really benefit's the effects of the poison oak.

There is also a tube of over the counter medication called Zanfel that you can buy at CVS, although it costs $34.00 a tube, the benefits are well worth the price. It has granules added to it, which you add a little water to, rub it in your hands then apply it all over the blistered, itchy parts of your skin. The effects are almost immediate and the blisters begin to go away in a matter of hours. This is an excellent cream and I would highly recommended that anyone who is experiencing the effects of poison oak or poison ivy purchase it. Also applying heat in the form of scalding hot rags or even a heating pad has been known to stop the itching. For more information on poison oak and poison ivy visit www.ehow.com/how-2310737-treat-poison-oak.html or www.wikihow.com/get-rid-of-poison-ivy-rashes