Poison Ivy Treatment and Removal

Our home is surrounded by a few acres of woods and my kids seem to get poison ivy every year. My husband and I have both been lucky enough to never react to it, but because my kids react so severely to poison ivy, and because I have multiple patient visits for poison ivy every year, I thought I would share some information on it. Keep reading to learn about poison ivy treatment and removal.

What Causes a Poison Ivy Rash

Poison ivy rash is caused when our immune systems react to the urushiol oil of the poison ivy plant (Toxicodendron Radicans).

The poison ivy plant has 3 individual leaves

The poison ivy plant can present as a singular plant, a bush or ivy on another tree. Its oil is thick and sticky, like a resin, which makes it easy to transfer from one surface to another. And it doesn’t take much to cause a rash. Once your skin is exposed to the oil, you will likely develop a rash and blisters to that area of skin if it’s not washed off within about 30 minutes. After the skin is washed well (I have my kids use Dawn dish soap in the spring and summer if they’ve been in the woods) you cannot spread the rash further.

However, blisters WILL continue to show up in areas where the skin was previously exposed. It can take several days or more for the blisters to show up, which makes people think they are spreading the rash by itching, even though that’s not the case. Now, you CAN still develop new blisters from re-exposure to oil that remains on other items such as shoes, hats, glasses, yard tools, etc., if those haven’t been properly washed. Scrub with soap and water to remove the oil.

The shade of green can vary (this pic was taken after I’d sprayed the plant with herbicide)

Treatment

Poison ivy will go away on its own without treatment, but can last 1-2 weeks or more. Symptomatic treatment options can be combined. These include an allergy medication such as the generic for Zyrtec or Claritin once daily, Benadryl as needed for itching (will likely cause drowsiness) and hydrocortisone cream for itching. Avoid taking hot showers, keep them lukewarm, because heat can intensify the itching. If you’ve got an area that’s really itchy, you can use an ice pack to calm it down. If the rash is really widespread or intense, your medical provider can prescribe steroids to try to calm the reaction more quickly, but these are not without side effects. Some common side effects of steroids are heartburn, feeling jittery, trouble sleeping, elevated blood sugar, and elevated white blood count, to name a few, so I prefer to use them only when really needed.

While you’re going through the misery of a poison ivy rash, make sure you watch for signs of a secondary bacterial infection. Let your doctor know right away if you notice redness of the skin that looks like sunburn spreading out from the rash, or if you develop a fever.

Removing Poison Ivy

I’ve been fighting the growth of poison ivy in our woods since we moved here 3 years ago, and finally this spring I’ve noticed that there are much fewer plants than previously. I use a strong herbicide (like Round-Up) to kill the plants. If I find an area with a lot of poison ivy plants on the ground, I usually find a vine of poison ivy on a nearby tree, which is responsible for the increased ground cover. Also, even if the plant is dead, the oil is still present and it can still cause a rash for up to 2 years. (It can also cause a rash in the winter, as the oil is still present).

Poison ivy can grow as a vine

To remove poison ivy plants completely you would need to wear long sleeves and pants, gloves, and tape your sleeves shut around your gloves. You can pull the plants out, including the roots, and put them into a garbage bag. Once you’re done, throw away the gloves, remove the clothing right into the washing machine, and take a shower. Make sure you scrub the skin to remove any oil that might have transferred from the clothing when removing it.

People who don’t react

 One other note – there are people who won’t develop a rash or react when exposed to the urushiol oil of the poison ivy plant, but that can change over time. Just because you’ve never reacted to poison ivy in the past, doesn’t mean that this year your body will decide the urushiol oil is a threat and you’ll develop a rash. I had a patient, who was not allergic, but then at the age of 60 her body changed and she had her first bout of poison ivy. So it’s best to avoid it no matter what.

To Summarize:

  1. Scrub skin with soap and water, or dish soap, to remove oil from skin – the oil is thick and sticky.
  2. The poison ivy rash will not spread once you’ve washed your skin thoroughly, but the rash can show up days later in areas that were previously exposed.
  3. The oil can still be present on other items such as glasses, hat, shoes, etc., and can cause re-exposure and further blisters.
  4. Symptomatic treatment is sufficient for most poison ivy rashes; most do not need steroids.
  5. Steroids can increase the recovery time, but they do have fairly significant side effects, and should be used cautiously.
  6. Watch for signs of a secondary bacterial infection from scratching.
  7. Poison Ivy plants can still cause a rash in the winter, and even if they’ve been dead for two years, because the oil is still present.

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