“Leaves of three, let them be.”
Have you ever heard
that old rhyme? It was written to keep people away
from poison ivy, a poisonous plant that grows three
glossy leaves to a stem.
Poison ivy can grow just about anywhere, from forest
paths to campsites and backyard gardens. If you come
in contact with the plant, chances are you’ll develop an
itchy, red rash a few days later due to the urushiol the
plant contains which most people are allergic to.
A poison ivy rash can also cause skin blisters, which
will eventually become crusty and flake off. It generally
takes one to three weeks for a poison ivy rash to heal.
To ease your itching, you can:
- Use an over-the-counter corticosteroid cream
- Apply calamine lotion
- Take an over-the-counter antihistamine
medication, such as Benadryl®
- Soak in a cool bath containing baking
soda or Aveeno®
- Place cool, wet compresses on itchy areas
“Typically home remedies are enough to soothe
your rash, but sometimes prescription creams or
medications are needed,” said Robert Nolan, DO,
Medical Director of Emergency Medicine,
Lakeland Health. “Unless your condition is extreme,
we recommend saving yourself both time and money
by visiting a Lakeland Health Walk-In Clinic instead of
an Emergency Department for treatment.”
For a complete list of Walk-In Clinic locations and
wait times, visit www.lakelandhealth.org/WIC