Frequently Asked Questions: Poison Oak

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ): Poison Ivy & Poison OakMany people get a rash from poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac. This rash is caused by an oil found in the plants. This oil is called urushiol (you-ROO-shee-all). The itchy, blistering rash often does not start until 12 to 72 hours after you come into contact with the oil.

The rash is not contagious and does not spread. It might seem to spread, but this is a delayed reaction.

Most people see the rash go away in a few weeks. To make the skin feel more comfortable during this time, you’ll find tips from dermatologists within:

Read these tips for treating and preventing poison ivy.

If you have a serious reaction, you need to see a doctor right away. Swelling is a sign of a serious reaction — especially swelling that makes an eye swell shut or your face to swell. 



Who gets this rash?Most people (85%) develop a rash when they get urushiol on their skin. The first time you get this oil on your skin, you may not get a rash. The next time, this oil gets on your skin you can become sensitive to it. Once you are sensitive to it, a rash appears. About 15% of people do not become sensitive to this oil and never develop a rash. 

Adults who had rashes as a child often find that they are less sensitive as adults. They may completely lose their sensitivity and never get another rash when the oil touches their skin. Adults who never had a rash as a child may become sensitive to the oil.

What causes this rash?There are 3 ways to get this rash:

1. Direct contact. By touching poison ivy, poison oak, or poison sumac, you can get a rash. Every part of these plants — the leaves, stems, roots, and flowers — contains the oil.
2. Indirect contact 
   Urushiol can stick to almost anything. If you touch a pet's fur, gardening tool, or sports equipment that has the oil on it, you can get a rash. Dogs and other animals do not get this rash. Only people get this rash.
3. Airborne contact 
   Burning these poisonous plants releases particles of urushiol into the air. These airborne particles can land on the skin.

It is not possible to get this rash from touching someone who has the rash. The skin absorbs the oil too quickly. You cannot get a rash from getting the fluid in the blisters on your skin.

How do dermatologists treat poison ivy?Most rashes can be left alone and will go away in a few weeks. If you have a serious reaction, you need treatment.

A reaction is serious when:

• Nothing seems to help ease the itch.
• You have rashes on several areas of your body.
• The skin around the rash seems infected. Signs of an infection are pus, pain, swelling, and warmth.
• You have a fever (another sign of an infection).
• The rash appears on your eyelids, lips, face, or genitals.
• Your face swells, especially if an eyelid swells shut.
• Breathing or swallowing is difficult.

When a serious reaction develops, prescription medicine may be needed. It can calm the swelling and itch.

OutcomeA rash from poison ivy, oak, or sumac usually lasts 1 to 3 weeks. Most go away without treatment.

Treating a rash from poison ivy, oak, or sumacFor a mild rash, you can often ease your discomfort by doing one or more of the following:

• Apply hydrocortisone cream or calamine lotion to the rash.
• Take antihistamine pills.
• Use “Sasquatch Itch Cream” available at www.sasquatchcream.com.
• Place cool cloths on your skin.
• Take cool showers.
• Take a lukewarm bath. Adding an oatmeal bath or baking soda to the water can help calm your skin.
• Try not to scratch.

Scratching can cause an infection. Because the rash can be very itchy, dermatologists recommend keeping your skin and fingernails clean. This can help prevent an infection. 

Everyone who gets a rash from one of these poisonous plants should:

• Wash the clothing and shoes you wore when you touched the plant. To remove the oil, you should wash these in hot sudsy water. If the oil is not washed off, the oil can stay active for a long time.
• Wash everything else that might have touched the plants. Did any garden tools, sports equipment, or other objects touch the plant? If so, wash the objects with rubbing alcohol or a mix of water and bleach.

Preventing a rash from poison ivy, oak, or sumacYou can prevent a rash by staying away from the plants. If this is not possible, be sure to follow these tips:

• Use a skin care product that helps prevent the skin from absorbing the oil (urushiol) that causes the rash. These products usually contain bentoquatam. You can buy these products without a prescription. Be sure to apply this before going outdoors.
• Wear long pants, long sleeves, boots, and gloves when around these plants. Even when you apply a product that contains bentoquatam, you should protect your skin with clothing.

If you do touch one of these plants, you may prevent a rash by:

• Washing your skin well. Use lukewarm water and soap as soon as you think you’ve touched a plant.
• Washing all clothing and everything else that may have the oil on it. Urushiol can cause a rash even when it is not on the plant. It remains active for a long time.

How to recognize poison ivy, oak, and sumacThe saying, “Leaves of three, beware of me,” is meant to help you spot poison ivy and oak. But the saying really should be “leaflets of three, beware of me.” That's because each leaf on poison ivy and oak has 3 smaller leaflets. The middle leaflet has a longer stalk than the 2 leaflets on either side.

The leaves of poison ivy and poison oak turn colors in the fall.

What poison ivy looks like

• Each leaf has 3 small leaflets.
• It grows as a shrub (low woody plant) in the far Northern and Western United States, Canada, and around the Great Lakes.
• It grows as a vine in the East, Midwest, and South of the United States.
• In spring, it grows yellow-green flowers.
• It may have green berries that turn off-white in early fall.

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