Poison Ivy Symptoms and Treatment

If you live in North America and have not yet come in contact with poison ivy, I would say you're lucky, but there is a good chance you some day will. If you have never heard of poison ivy, it is a poisonous plant that grows in North America that causes rashes, swelling, blisters and itchiness to the part of the body that came in contact with the plant. There are three different types of these plants, including poison ivy, poison oak and poison sumac, with the latter considered the most toxic. These plants contain urushiol on their leaves, this is what causes the skin irritation. Rashes and other symptoms associated with these plants can occur within 6 to 48 hours from initial contact. The rash can continue to get worse and seem to spread to other parts of the body. This is a big misconception.

Can poison ivy spread to other parts of the body?

The rashes can not be spread to other parts of the body. What ever part of the body that came into contact with the plant is the part of the body that will have the rash. The reason why the rash can get worse as time goes by is because the parts of the body that showed signs initially were the most sensitive to the urushiol oil. The other parts of the body were more resilient to the urushiol chemical.

Is poison ivy contagious?

Many people believe that poison ivy is contagious and can be spread to other parts of the body to other people entirely. This is a very untrue belief. People also believe that the pus filled blisters are contagious if they are broken, this is also untrue. The blisters are just filled with your own bodies fluid attempting to rid the urushiol from your skin.

If you think you've come into contact with one of these plants, there's a possibility you can prevent having any of the symptoms listed above. Once you realized you've touched poison ivy, you need to immediately clean the affected areas with water and soap; alcohol can also be used to clean the areas. If it is too late, and you see that you have a rash a few hours later, you will need to apply calamine lotion or spray. This will reduce the itchiness and dry the rashes. For severe cases of poison ivy, you should consult a doctor, especially if it is in the face and genital areas.

I've recently come into contact with poison ivy and I am currently on day 11. I am still seeing new blisters everyday. The itchiness is quite unbearable, I find myself itching myself more towards the end of the day. This is because during the day our body releases an anti-itch chemical to the areas. When we are ready to go to sleep our body temperature rises, and this chemical is no longer released.

I had it the worse on my wrist with yellow filled blisters. I thought it would be a good idea to pop them, but this was a really bad idea. My wrist literally oozed pus for 5 days straight. I needed to keep the area covered up with a gauze throughout the day.

I've had poison ivy before but this time around I didn't see a doctor. The last time I got poison ivy I did see a doctor and I was prescribed a steroid cream and Methylprednisolone. The cream helped, but the Methylprednisolone made me feel really sick! My doctor suggested I discontinue taking it. I had to lay in bed for a few hours and drink a lot of water to help flush the medication out of me. Methylprednisolone does lower your immune system, so if you do decide to take it, be very careful.

Honestly the best cure for poison ivy is time. Let your body fight it off by itself without any prescriptions. All you really need is water, soap and calamine lotion. Hope you found this article helpful.

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Learn How You Can Get Rid Of Your Allergies Quickly

If you suffer from constant coughing, sneezing, coughing, runny nose, itchy eyes or sore throat, you may have allergies. Although the symptoms are relatively simple, you still need to be careful. Chronic allergy can threaten your life. In this article, you will read some effective methods to manage your allergy symptoms.

1. Bring an antihistamine

When you are dealing with allergies, you never know when your allergy symptoms can occur. You need to be ready to fight against your allergies every day. Bring medication along with you to treat your allergies symptoms. You can use antihistamine medication for the emergency situation. Those products can help you to treat the allergy symptoms. You should be able to find this medication in the retailer store.

2. Wash your bed cover and pillow case regularly

You have to be careful with the dust mites that might grow on your pillow case and bed cover. These mites are very dangerous if you are allergic to them. If they bite your body, your allergy symptoms will occur immediately. Make sure that you clean your pillow case and bed cover regularly. Always wash them with hot and soapy water to kill the dust mites instantly. Nowadays, there are many online stores that also sell "dust mite resistant" casings. You should purchase these products to prevent the dust mites to grow on your pillow and mattresses.

3. Consume Vitamin C

If you have allergies, you have to improve your immune system to control your allergies effectively. Vitamin C can improve your immunity and act as a natural antihistamine. Try to consume at least 500 milligram of vitamin C daily in order to fight against your allergies. You can get vitamin C from fruits, vegetables, and supplementation. The best thing to get vitamin C is from your daily diets, including fruits and vegetables.

4. Use nasal irrigation treatment

If you do not know what nasal irrigation treatment is, you can get more details from your doctor. This treatment is one of the allergy reliever that you can use to treat your allergy symptoms. Many studies show that allergies can be reduced by using nasal irrigation with salt water treatment.

5. Reduce your stress level

You should know that stress affects allergy. Many doctors believe that stress induces asthma attack. If you want to control your allergies effectively, you need to reduce your stress level by taking some meditation courses or yoga classes.

Learn How To Control Your Allergies Effectively

More than 50% of the world's population have allergies in their life. You might be one of them. The symptoms are similar to the cold symptoms. However, if you are not aware of those allergy symptoms, they might be fatal for you. This article provide some effective information that can help you to enjoy your life without allergies.

1. Consume probiotics

Probiotics are effective to improve your immune system. By doing so, you will be able to control your allergies effectively. Probiotics are healthy bacteria that can strengthen your immune system. If you have strong immunity, you will be able to fight against allergens easily. You can find probiotics in many fermented products, such as yogurt or kefir. Make sure that you consume these probiotics every day to keep your body healthy.

2. Clean your room

Make sure that you clean your room regularly. Do not forget to clean your refrigerator's seal because mold can grow rapidly in that place. Mold can be dangerous because it can exaggerate your allergy symptoms.

3. Avoid smoking

If you suffer from allergies, try to avoid smoking. One of the most common allergy symptoms is asthma. Cigarette smoke will induce your asthma attack. The best thing you can do is avoid smoking. Try to reduce your smoking habit to enjoy your perfect life.

4. Use an air purifier

This is a powerful device that can dramatically reduce the allergens in your house. You can also buy the air purifier and humidifier for treating your allergies. Air purifier removes all allergens from the air. The humidifier reduces the humidity of your room. Humid air can trigger your allergy attacks. Both of those devices are effective to manage your allergies well. If you need to use an air purifier, you need to purchase the one with a HEPA filter. This filter trap more particles of spores, pollen, pet dander, from the air.

5. Keep your windows closed

Keep your windows closed every day. It is important to prevent the allergens that might come to your house. If you want to have air circulation, you can use an air conditioner to do so. It is better for you, especially if you are allergic to pollen or dust from the environment.

Try to use those simple tips above to have your beautiful life without allergies. You need to visit your doctor at least once a month to control your allergies.

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