Act Quickly After Encountering Poison Ivy

Urushiol is an oily substance that is secreted from poison ivy leaves. If you are allergic to the oil and have come into contact with poison ivy, it can be disconcerting if you are uncertain if your skin touched one of the leaves. If you break out with a rash, care for the affected skin to promote healing and prevent the rash from spreading.

Wash Your Skin, Clothing, And Surfaces

After encountering poison ivy, it is imperative that you stop what you are doing, head indoors, and wash your skin with an antibacterial soap and warm water. Even if you are pretty sure that you did not touch one of the poison ivy leaves, you cannot be certain and washing your skin could effectively remove oil before it is absorbed through the top layer of your skin.

Any clothing that you were wearing while outdoors should be laundered immediately. It doesn't hurt to add a little bit of color safe bleach to the washing machine's basin so that germs are destroyed. Use a disinfectant and rag to clean any surfaces that your clothing or skin came into contact with.

Visit An Urgent Care Clinic To Receive Care

If you notice that your skin is swollen, red, and itchy, you can be pretty sure that it is a rash that is associated with touching one or more poison ivy leaves. Do not sit there and suffer after the rash appears. Take an allergy pill and rub some calamine lotion across the rash-covered skin.

If neither of these treatment methods seem to be working and you are having trouble refraining from scratching your skin, seeking medical care at an urgent care clinic is a viable option that will provide you with prompt relief. Unlike a hospital waiting room or standard doctor's office, you will only be required to wait for a short amount of time before you are seen. Making an appointment is not necessary.

Just be sure to bring your medical insurance information and provide the caregiver who assists you with details about your medical history, including any allergies that you have in addition to the current one. This information will help a clinician determine a course of action to effectively treat the rash. A steroid shot, oral medication, or topical cream may be used during the treatment process.

Follow The Instructions Provided And Prevent Future Outbreaks

After receiving treatment at the urgent care center, bring any written instructions home with you and make sure that any prescriptions that you have received are filled. Follow the instructions that the urgent care clinician provided you with. To prevent additional outbreaks associated with poison ivy, hire a landscaper to treat your property with pesticides that are designed to kill poison ivy plants.