Can you cover poison ivy with a bandage

When it comes to treating the skin, plenty of people say they have expertise. Only a board-certified dermatologist has these credentials. A rash from poison ivy, poison oak or poison sumac is caused by an oil found in these plants called urushiol. When this oil touches your skin, it often causes an itchy, blistering rash. Most people can safely treat the rash at home.

Immediately rinse your skin with lukewarm, soapy water. If you can rinse your skin immediately after touching poison ivy, poison oak, or poison sumac, you may be able to rinse off some of the oil. If not washed off, the oil can spread from person to person and to other areas of your body. Wash your clothing. Thoroughly wash all of the clothes you were wearing when you came into contact with the poisonous plant. The oil can stick to clothing, and if it touches your skin, it can cause another rash.

To avoid getting oil from the plant on your skin, wear gloves while touching your clothes, even when taking off your clothes. Wash everything that may have the oil on its surface. To avoid getting any oil from the plant on your skin, wear gloves while touching or washing anything that may have oil on it. This includes your pet. If you need to wash your pet, wear gloves.

Leave blisters alone. The warmer seasons in the Midwest, typically mean a welcome shift outdoors. People relish the opportunity to enjoy hiking, biking, and many other activities that connect them to nature.

The itching may last for weeks and rashes can cause a great deal of discomfort. What is your next step? Wear protective clothing and wash your skin as soon as possible after suspected exposure. If you do end up getting a rash from poison ivy, do not worry! There are a lot of safe, effective, and fairly inexpensive options to relieve your symptoms, and many are available without a prescription. Severe, widespread rashes require medical treatment.

Reviewed by: Kate M. Cronan, MD. Larger text size Large text size Regular text size.