I have battled poison ivy for the last week or two. It’s been a true battle of patience and will. I came in contact with the plant at some point while playing golf on my birthday and somehow managed to spread the rash to three areas of my body. Lucky me.
I didn’t realize I had poison ivy until a couple days had passed and then I woke up to the worst itching I’d ever felt in my life. There’s a high likelihood I had had it before but did not remember the feeling.
I never want it again. After suffering through the good and bad days I learned a lot about that crazy plant and it’s oil that causes the rash. I figured if I didn’t know, there as a chance you didn’t know either.
1. It’s a myth that it’s contagious. You don’t have to wipe down any and everything you touch and it’s not gonna spread to your friend if yall are in the same room together.
2. The rash is from the oil the plant excretes and a rash will form where the oil touches. Urushiol is what it’s called and it’s mean spirited and serious about it’s business. It can linger for days, weeks and even months on cloth or tools if it’s not washed properly.
3. Scratching doesn’t make it spread. You can scratch all you want and it won’t spread because you touch another part of your body. You shouldn’t scratch it because it can cause scarring if you scratch too skin off, though! The only way it will spread from scratching is if you scratch and get oil from the plant on your hands and then touch elsewhere. (Chances are you’ve washed it off by the time you scratch.)
4. You can get it without even knowing it. Since it’s an ivy it can blendin well with its surroundings. You gotta be on the look out or else it will sneak up on ya. It can be along a tree or on the ground by a tree or anywhere else you may fail to look.
5. A doctor can give you a shot that will take it away faster than any over the counter meds. Apple Cider Vinegar, saltwater (like the Gulf of Mexico), Calamine lotion are the cheapest options but if you want to spend some coin you can find creams and the such that will work, too. But, the Doctor is the key to a quick revival.