Prevent Spreading the Rash

•	Know what the plants look like. “Leaflets of three, let it be,” is pretty smart advice.
•	Take a hot shower as soon as possible using strong soap, as soon as possible after contact
•	Wash any clothing or equipment that comes in contact in the same manner
•	Be careful where you select your camp and also where you rest, sit, and relieve yourself.

All three species and their sub species of plants are very hardy and adaptable. If there is at least eight to ten inches of rain a year, and it is below 4,000 feet, you can find poison ivy, oak or sumac.

All three of these plants emit a poisonous oil irritant called urushiol. This oil is the toxin in these plants that make you itch. In its pure form, the amount that you could fit on the head of a pin could make 500 people very uncomfortable.

About Urushiol

•	Urushiol is an oil, and not a water based fluid
•	Urushiol does not evaporate, so it can linger for a year.
•	It will cover what ever it comes in contact with, clothing, tools, and even pet hair. • Urushiol vaporizes when it is burned, the vapor is then carried in the smoke and covers everything it comes in contact with (again contaminating it for a year or longer).
•	Urushiol is present on the leaves, stems, and roots of the plant, and can spread from dead, dried up and of course live plants.

Symptoms and the Cycle
The urushiol oil chemically bonds with the proteins in your skin about 30 minutes after contact. 75% of the population is effected by contact with urushiol, although immunity to urushiol today does not assure immunity tomorrow, and vice versa.

•	Rash symptoms can appear within a few hours to two to five days
•	Starts as a red, annoyingly itchy area that starts to swell.
•	Inflammation and clusters of tiny pimples,
•	Pimples eventually merge and turn into blisters.
•	The fluid in the blisters turns yellow, dries up, and becomes crusty. Left completely untreated, this cycle can last as short as five days and in severe cases as long as five to six weeks.

If you do start to get a rash there is some bad news. There is no antitoxin available for urushiol. There are products out there that will make you more comfortable, but no specific treatments. Washing in hot water with strong soap within the first 24 hours of exposure, and not scratching can help reduce the length and severity of a reaction.

The Rash

•	Is not communicable once you get one, that is, you can’t pass it on to someone else through normal contact.
•	Only the urushiol oil spreads the rash.
•	Never break the blisters. Breaking blisters can lead to blood poison and generally in medical circles the draining of blisters is frowned upon.
•	Let the infected area breath, if you do wrap it, keep the dressing as clean as possible, weeping blisters are a hot bed for infection.

Treatment
There are a variety of over the counter oral and topical products that can ease the symptoms of poison ivy (but won’t cure it).

•	Calamine lotion
•	Zinc oxide ointment
•	Baking soda paste (one tablespoon of baking soda to one teaspoon of water)
•	Hydrocortisone cream
•	Baths in oatmeal soap or medicated oatmeal based products like Avenno
•	Soaking in a baking soda bath can also help with broad rashes.
•	Taking oral Benadryl can help ease the symptoms.

Extreme Cases
Only in extreme cases should you see a physician for a poison ivy, oak or sumac related rash. If the rash covers a large area of your body, is on your face, in your mouth, in your eyes, or your genitals you should seek medical treatment as soon as possible. If after exposure to poison ivy there is swelling in the throat, tongue and or lips, if the victim has a hard time breathing, is weak or dizzy, has blue lips and mouth, or falls unconscious, they could be having a very severe reaction requiring immediate medical treatment. Self-medication without a physician is never recommended, if you have an adrenaline kit, know how to use and are qualified, administer adrenaline as needed.

If you were exposed to the smoke of burning poison ivy, oak or sumac and you believe you may have breathed in the fumes, you need to seek medical treatment immediately. Some people can have life threatening reactions from inhaling urushiol vapors into their lungs. In some states, it is illegal to burn poison ivy due to the health risks it represents. With exception to the exposure to the vapor in smoke, most folks do not have these severe reactions, but do get the vexing annoying itch and rash.

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