Poison Ivy Relief at Home

Itching, scratching, burning, redness, and swelling � aaah, the joys of poison ivy and poison oak! It's often the price we pay when we go wandering into the wilderness. Did you know that poison ivy and poison oak affect mostly humans? Horses, goats, birds, and even bugs can eat the leaves with no ill effect whatsoever. But 80%-90% of humans who come in contact with poison ivy or oak will have an allergic reaction and will need ivy relief!

The ingredient that causes the problem, urushiol, is actually quite harmless, only our bodies mistakenly believe we are under attack when urushiol touches our skin. The body releases killer T-cells to the affected area and the T-cell basically kills every cell in the area. When the T-cells damage our nerve cells, we itch! And then we look for anything that will give us poison ivy relief.

Home Remedies for Ivy Relief
Luckily, there are a variety of home remedies that can give us ivy relief, as well as tons of over-the-counter ointments from the local drugstore. Some home remedies that have been reported to provide the most ivy relief include hot water, probiotic and enzyme poultices, a hair dryer, and even clear nail polish or duct tape. The most important first step, though, is to make sure that you have cleaned all the urushiol off the affected area. You can use witch hazel, rubbing alcohol, or soap and warm water on the affected area. Make sure your hands are clean, too. Once you've washed the area and your hands, you can try one of these home remedies for ivy relief.

* Hot Water: Heat water until it is quite hot to the touch. Dip a clean towel in the water and apply the towel to the affected area. Keep the towel in place as long as you can. At first the area may become itchier, but after a while you should notice a decrease in sensation. Apply the hot water with care as you want to just relieve the ivy itch, not burn your skin.

* Probiotic and Enzyme Poultice: For ivy relief all day long, mix a capsule of the probiotic acidophilus with a capsule of food enzymes with non-chlorinated water. The consistency should be that of a paste. Apply the poultice to the affected area and let it dry. As the poultice dries the itch will fade. When the area starts to itch again, apply a new poultice.

* Hair Dryer: This works on the same principle as the hot water. Point the hair dryer, set at the hottest setting you can tolerate, at the affected area and keep it there until the itch fades. Again, be careful to just relieve the itch and not burn your skin.

* Nail Polish and Duct Tape: Some people swear by these two remedies although they might fall under the category of junk science. Certain people say that they get ivy relief by painting clear nail polish over the affected area or putting duct tape over it. Our only advice? Try it and see.


Photo credit: salvan