Tips and Home Remedies for Treating Poison Ivy, Rash, Blisters and Itching

Reader Contribution by Natalie Schaefer
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As your fingers pluck the weeds between lengthening squash vines and ripening tomatoes, don’t forget to keep both eyes open for the ones that fight back. Poison ivy, oak and sumac are more likely to be tangled up in dense undergrowth; however, they still manage to appear where you least expect.

You can identify the poison ivy family by its shiny leaves in clusters of three, but don’t forget you can also contract an itchy rash from touching the roots, stems, flowers or berries. This reaction is known as contact dermatitis caused by contact with the irritant urushiol, resin found in poison ivy plants. When transferred to your body, urushiol bonds with the lipids in your skin. If not diluted with cold water immediately or wicked away with rubbing alcohol, an allergic reaction will follow, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention website, that will make your skin a war zone.

If you find yourself among the unlucky, nurse your rash with home-grown and store-bought antidotes, but remember time and patience are the only cure as you wait for the blisters and bumps to run their course (anywhere from two to four weeks). To reduce itching and spreading try some of the following:

DIY Remedies

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