Poison Ivy Symptoms
Quick Guide to Poison Ivy Symptoms
Over half of the people in the United States have sensitivity to the toxin of poison ivy; symptoms of which can appear within 24 hours of contact.
The poison ivy plant can be found in the southern regions of Canada, the Midwest of the United States and along the East Coast of the US. It grows primarily but not exclusively around streams, rivers and lakes in either a vine form or a small bush. It can be an easy plant to identify if one is cognizant of their surroundings, but if the exposure isn’t recognized, it is all too likely that poison ivy symptoms will be appearing.
The allergic reaction that people experience from poison ivy is due to urushiol; a toxic oil that is in each part of the plant. A mere brush of the plant against human skin is all that is necessary to begin the chain of events that leads to poison ivy symptoms.
Poison ivy symptoms generally begin as a series of small, red bumps. The bumps may form a pattern on the skin, usually a line. This line represents the way that the plant leaf made contact. The bumps will cause an itchy feeling, and the bumps will soon erupt into small, water filled blisters. Crusting over of the blistery rash is common, as is the weeping of the blisters. This fluid from the blisters cannot create new rashes or blisters; it is only the direct contact of the oil itself that can cause new poison ivy symptoms.
The rash from urushiol can last up to 2 or 3 weeks depending on the amount of the toxin that was absorbed into the system. Continual scratching at the rash can break the skin, leaving it vulnerable for a secondary infection from bacterial entering the wounds. If new incidences of breakouts seem to be occurring, it is most likely that continued contact with the oil is the cause. Many people who were unaware of an encounter with poison ivy did not take the precaution of thoroughly cleaning the clothes and shoes they were wearing. Since urushiol can remain active for up to 5 years on any surface, recontamination and continued poison ivy symptoms can occur.
Once poison ivy symptoms have been detected, the only recourse is to treat them in a manner that brings the greatest relief to the sufferer. Oatmeal and baking soda baths, topical creams and lotions, and sometimes prescription medication are used to effectively treat poison ivy symptoms.
With such a large number of people carrying sensitivity to the toxin, it is no wonder that there are numerous products available to treat poison ivy symptoms. Until a vaccine preventing the condition is perfected, people all over the US will be dealing with poison ivy symptoms.