Poison ivy is a type of vine that grows in the wild. It is not actually related to the family of ivy. It contains a substance that is known as urushiol. Urushiol is likely to cause itching and irritation on the skin of an individual who has come into contact with the substance. The irritation may be great enough to produce a rash which w affects a large part of the skin surface of an individual. People who are known to have allergic reactions in general are at a higher risk of developing a more serious poison ivy induced rash.

An exposure to poison ivy is likely to cause symptoms that include rashes, boils, pustules and blisters. These abnormalities on the skin may appear in a line along the skin that has been exposed to urushiol. Many people will have no symptoms when they come into contact with this. Since the reaction is based on an immune system response, people who have an allergic reaction to this problem are likely to have increasingly severe reactions each time there is an exposure of the skin to the poison ivy plant or to urushiol.

When curing its related symptoms, the first thing to do is to thoroughly wash the area. Soap is required as the water alone will not wash the urushiol oil away. Vigorous scrubbing of the area may also be a good idea as long as no blisters have formed. One should be careful not to puncture the skin as this will promote the formation of blisters and other similar symptoms.

Other natural remedies include having an oatmeal bath. An oatmeal bath is a process that reduces the allergic reaction of the skin in general. This is also one of the best poison ivy home remedies. Some people with severe reactions will require anti-histamine medication to calm the immune system response down. For others, the application of a calamine based cream is recommended as this cools and reduces the irritation of the skin. One of the natural cures for it is the application of hot water on the affected area. This may be slightly dangerous if one does not pay full attention to the heat of the water as it is possible to be slightly burnt by hot water. The application of hot water on the rash areas will stimulate blood flow and help with the resolution of the condition. The area should be dabbed dry with a cloth and the cloth should be washed with detergent afterwards.

Author Bio: Kevin Pederson, authors web content for http://www.diethealthclub.com a complete online resource featuring diet, health and fitness. This article is focused on helping you plan for new year resolutions for healthy diet plans

Category: Health/Diseases and Conditions
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