Treatment for Poison Ivy

It is always a good idea for you and your children to leave the house and go out, instead of always sitting in front of the TV or the computer. There's nothing like a walk in the park, to get your mind off of things and just enjoy a bit of the fresh air. It is even better, if you have a chance to go out into the woods and enjoy the real nature.

But there is problem with the real nature. Besides the fresh air and all the peace and quiet, you can enjoy out there, there are also some less pleasurable things you should be careful about if you don't want to end up looking for ... say a treatment for poison ivy.

Yes, the poison ivy can be a real pain in the behind if you are not one of those lucky people that is immune to urushiol. This is the chemical that makes the poison ivy so unpleasant and that causes the rash. Keep in mind that the poison oak and poison sumac also contain urushiol so the treatment for poison ivy will also work on those two.

The best treatment for poison ivy is avoiding it. But if you want to properly avoid it, you must first recognize it. There are three characteristics that might help you determine it:

• poison ivy has clusters of three leaflets 
• it has alternate leaves arrangement
• it has no thorns

There are also some rhymes that help children remember how the poison ivy looks like ("Leaves of the tree, let it be."; Hairy vine, no friend of mine."; ...).

The first aid treatment for poison ivy is pretty clear and you have only about 10 minutes to execute it.

• First you should cleanse the exposed skin with alcohol.
• Wash it with clean water (don't use soap)

Instead of alcohol you can use some of the pharmaceutical products to deal with poison ivy exposure. If you know you live in an area where the plant is present, you should always keep some products for the treatment for poison ivy rash. Unlike some other types of medicine (for instance, you can't get over the counter antibiotics), you can simply buy these at a pharmacy or online. On the upper right position right you can see some of these products that I personally recommend.

If your neighbourhood is too infested with poison ivy, you can also get rid of it. On the right you can see some products that will help you do it.

But remember. Keep your eyes open and look out for the poison ivy, but don't avoid going out just because you are afraid of it. The treatment for poison ivy is simple if you execute it quickly enough and if you have the treatment products somewhere handy. You should also wear long pants and long sleeves and this will almost eliminate the chance of getting the rash.