Avoiding Poison Ivy
Because it is so prevalent, anyone who spends time in the outdoors has most certainly encountered poison ivy. If you are like me and are one of the unfortunate people who are allergic to poison ivy the following photos will help you know what to look for in order to avoid it as you go on your adventures. Many people will find that with age they will become either more or less allergic to the affects of this undesirable weed.
If a person is allergic to it, poison ivy will cause a rash on the surface of your skin. This rash can range from minimal to extremely severe depending upon how an individuals body reacts to exposure.
The poison ivy weed has 3 jagged leaves on each stem.
Poison ivy is found nearly everywhere and will grow vigorously if it is not dealt with.
After being outdoors, it is a good idea to wash any exposed areas of skin with soap and water as soon as possible. If you are able to wash the oil from your skin within 5 minutes of exposure you may be able to prevent your body from breaking out into the annoying rash.
The leaves of poison ivy will generally not cause a person to break out; however, it is when you bump into this plant and its stem breaks that exposure to the menacing oil occurs. Some people are so allergic that simply coming into contact with the pollen from poison ivy will cause an outbreak.
When you are unfortunate enough to break out in a rash, there are some home remedies that can be used before spending money on a visit to the doctor.
• The inside of a banana peel has a soothing effect when rubbed on the affected area which can reduce the itching.
• A paste made from baking soda and water can also reduce itching when applied to the affected areas.
• Apply rubbing alcohol onto the affected areas and air dry them. This home treatment can dry out the rash and calm the itching.
• An oatmeal bath can help ease the irritation.
If these methods don't help or you break out into a worse rash, you may want to go ahead and visit your doctor. Prednisone is typically the drug that a doctor will prescribe to deal with an outbreak. If the rash is deemed to be severe enough, your doctor may also give you a shot of prednisone to jump start the treatment.
Now that you know what you are looking for, keep an eye on your surroundings and be sure that you don't encounter this nasty weed so you can avoid exposure altogether.
- Any day in the outdoors is a good day