Poison Ivy Woes

16October

Posted by admin | General Info

Did you now that more than 500 people can itch from the amount of urushiol (poison ivy oil) on the head of a pin?

I have been struggling with a bad case of poison ivy. I apparently got it from Hubby's clothing - picking it up off the floor to carry it to the washing machine (hint, hint, honey). There is no substitute for some advice and prescription meds from the M.D. So take my humble opinion with caution: poison ivy rash itches. Shocker, I know.

Topical creams = okay; Allergy medicines = good; oral steroids = good, but take time to work.

What can you do to provide some instant relief? Hubby found a great solution for the itching. Scalding hot water! Get the water as hot as you can stand it, run the rash under the sink (or use washclothes for those hard-to-get areas). It will hurt, and it will itch like crazy for about a minute . . . then, viola! The itching stops for a few hours! This trick has helped me get a couple of hours of sleep at a time. The allergy meds and the steriods ramp you up; add the itching and it's hard to sleep with a poison ivy rash. A little hot water does the trick.

Give it a try if you get desperate.

To read more on poison ivy: www.poisonivy.aesir.com