Poison Ivy (cont.)
What are the signs and symptoms of the poison ivy rash?
The poison ivy rash usually starts one or two days after exposure, though the delay between contact and
its onset can be longer, up to several days. This may lead to confusion over where
the exposure took place. The first signs of the rash are curved lines of red, itchy bumps or blisters. These continue to appear for many days, depending on how much resin touched the skin at a given point. This makes it seem as though the rash is
"spreading," although the fluid in blisters is just part of the allergic reaction and contains no chemicals or bacteria. It also makes it appear that there may still be poison ivy in clothes and/or on pets. Although this is theoretically possible, repeated washing of these often produces no improvement.
Poison ivy is not contagious, neither from one person to someone else nor from one part of the body to another.
Many references emphasize that animals can carry the poison ivy resin. There's
no doubt this is true, but its practical significance may be limited. The first sign of poison ivy, after all, is usually a curved line of rash on the skin. Unless your dog is shaped like a curved line, your poison ivy is more likely to have come from a stem or leaf which dragged against the skin, not from your pet.
What is the treatment for poisoning from these plants?
The best approach to poison ivy dermatitis is prevention. Washing with soap and water can help reduce the severity of the rash, but this is often impractical because it has to be done at once. (After 10 minutes, only 50% of the resin is removable, and by 30 minutes only 10%.)
Once it begins, the rash will usually clear on its own by 14-21 days.
Treatment is directed at controlling the itching. Oral antihistamines (like diphenhydramine
[Benadryl]) may help the itch somewhat, but often
they do no more than make people drowsy. Cortisone creams, whether over-the-counter or by prescription, are only helpful if applied right away, before blisters appear, or much later, when the blisters have dried up. Compresses with cool water or Burow's solution (available without prescription) can help dry
the ooze faster.
When the rash is severe, such as when it affects the face or causes extensive
blistering, oral steroids (for example, prednisone)
can help produce rapid improvement. This course of therapy should be maintained, often in decreasing doses, for 10-14 days or even longer in some cases, to prevent having the rash rebound and become severe again. Patients who are given a
six-day pack of cortisone pills often get worse again when they complete it, because the dose was too low and
administered for too short a time.
Folklore, medical and otherwise, endorses many other agents, from aloe leaves to tea bags to meat tenderizer as treatments for poison ivy and related plant poisonings. Though
these remedies are generally harmless, they are of questionable value.
Next: How can contact with these plants be prevented? »
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