There are a few types of poison ivy, sumac, and oak living in the Unites States. Hawaii and Alaska are the exceptions. Sumac is found mainly in the eastern parts of the area near the Mississippi River . The Rockies are best suited to the poison ivy. The poison oak is native tot he west and southwest. Skin reactions are not much different in one type than it is in another. An individual, who has a reaction to poison ivy, will surely have the same reaction to the sumac or the oak. The severity of the reaction is decided on how sensitive the skin is to the poison oils. When it reaches the skin, the reaction should occur in about a day or two and cause a red rash to appear. The rash will be very irritated and itch badly. When the itching and blisters start to show in the skin, there is a strong need to treat it with something to relieve the irritation. When the blisters open, a form a crust appears over the area. It will be ten days after a home remedies for poison ivy treatment is given that relief finally comes for good. With no treatment, the irritations can last for almost a month. In the meantime, something must be done to help with the itching.

The Home Remedies For Poison Ivy

Once you realize you have poison ivy, the first of the home remedies for poision ivy is to cool the area down with a bath or shower. A cold ice pack will also prove to be very useful. Baking soda is also a very useful ingredient to stop the itch. To make this home remedy, add water to the baking soda until it forms a thick paste. Spread the paste on the area. Every few hours, reapply the paste. Adding the baking soda to bath water will also soothe the rash. Oatmeal can also be added to the bath to relieve the discomfort. Next on the list of home remedies is an ingredient not thought of for this type of problem. Cold, black coffee poured over the affected area is thought to be a helpful aid in reducing the swelling. This is one of the successful poison ivy cure.

More Home Remedies to Poison Ivy

Some of the other home remedy for poison ivy are right in the kitchen and can be used to soothe the savage itch. Vinegar gently rubbed into the site with a ball of cotton will help. It is recommended that the area be washed with soap and water first and then rinses completely with warm water. The soap and water will help to remove the poison ivy oils if it can be done within a short amount of time after plant contact. The oil from the plant is completely in the skin within ten minutes. Once the area is cleaned and dried with a towel, the towel needs to be washed in hot soapy water to prevent the spread of the oils. As is common with most skin problems, Aloe Vera is the one to turn to. The aloe vera applied every other hour will take some of the swelling out. The final home remedy for poison ivy is the old standby of calamine lotion. The new technology has brought clear lotion instead of the bright pink of many years ago. Calamine lotion in any color is designed to dry up the blisters and the rash thus moving along the healing process. This is one of the effective poison ivy treatment.

Precautions

The best thing to do, outside of the natural remedy for poison ivy, is to reduce the contact of poison ivy on the skin is to watch out for it when walking in areas that may have it. Wearing long pants and sleeves will also prevent the oil from seeping into the pores. Avoiding thick brush when hiking will also prevent contact. If contact is made, rinsing the area with water will help reduce the severity of the reaction. Antibacterial clothes may also remove the majority of the oil so an allergic reaction does not occur.