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of Consumer Guide, the Editors. "17 Home Remedies for Poison Ivy." 15 January 2007. HowStuffWorks.com. <http://health.howstuffworks.com/home-remedies-for-poison-ivy.htm> 17 May 2008.
Inside This Article
Even More Home Remedy Treatments for Poison Ivy
Still itching? Some other common home remedies can help battle the poison ivy, oak or sumac discomfort. In addition to items found in your kitchen, some common medicine cabinet items can offer relief.Remedies from the Medicine Cabinet
Smooth on some calamine lotion. Your mother probably painted your skin pink with this goop if you had a brush with poison ivy as a kid. Smart thinking, Mom: Calamine lotion can be mildly soothing and help dry the rash. Apply it in a thin layer, however, so that the pores in your skin are not sealed.
Apply Burow's solution. This lesser-known product (sold without a prescription) can soothe and relieve mild rashes when put on compress-style. It's often sold under the name Domeboro, in a tablet or powder form that you mix with water (according to package directions). Ask your pharmacist if you're having trouble locating it.
Try hydrocortisone creams. Sold without a prescription, these creams may offer some relief for mild rashes. However, for more serious cases, hydrocortisone creams are not strong enough to help. If you have a rash that is severe enough to take you to the doctor, he or she may prescribe more potent steroids.
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Getting a rash from poison ivy, oak, or sumac can be a huge discomfort, causing a rash and significant itching. Luckily, there are home remedies to calm both effects, and by using one or more of a number of natural treatment options -- some using common kitchen items -- those infected with poison ivy, oak or sumac can find relief.
- To see all of our home remedies and the conditions they treat, go to our main Home Remedies page.
- To see our home remedies for food poisoning, go to our Home Remedies for Food Poisoning page.
- If you want to learn more about allergies, try the How Allergies Work page.
- Dealing with a more heated skin situation? Read our Home Remedies for Sunburn article.
Timothy Gower is a freelance writer and editor whose work has appeared in many publications, including Reader's Digest, Prevention, Men's Health, Better Homes and Gardens, The New York Times, and The Los Angeles Times. The author of four books, Gower is also a contributing editor for Health magazine.
Alice Lesch Kelly is a health writer based in Boston. Her work has been published in magazines such as Shape, Fit Pregnancy, Woman's Day, Reader's Digest, Eating Well, and Health. She is the co-author of three books on women's health.
Linnea Lundgren has more than 12 years experience researching, writing, and editing for newspapers and magazines. She is the author of four books, including Living Well With Allergies.
Michele Price Mann is a freelance writer who has written for such publications as Weight Watchers and Southern Living magazines. Formerly assistant health and fitness editor at Cooking Light magazine, her professional passion is learning and writing about health.
ABOUT THE CONSULTANTS:
Ivan Oransky, M.D., is the deputy editor of The Scientist. He is author or co-author of four books, including The Common Symptom Answer Guide, and has written for publications including the Boston Globe, The Lancet, and USA Today. He holds appointments as a clinical assistant professor of medicine and as adjunct professor of journalism at New York University.
David J. Hufford, Ph.D., is university professor and chair of the Medical Humanities Department at Pennsylvania State University's College of Medicine. He also is a professor in the departments of Neural and Behavioral Sciences and Family and Community Medicine. Dr. Hufford serves on the editorial boards of several journals, including Alternative Therapies in Health & Medicine and Explore.
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This information is solely for informational purposes. IT IS NOT INTENDED TO PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE. Neither the Editors of Consumer Guide (R), Publications International, Ltd., the author nor publisher take responsibility for any possible consequences from any treatment, procedure, exercise, dietary modification, action or application of medication which results from reading or following the information contained in this information. The publication of this information does not constitute the practice of medicine, and this information does not replace the advice of your physician or other health care provider. Before undertaking any course of treatment, the reader must seek the advice of their physician or other health care provider.
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Please copy/paste the following text to properly cite this How Stuff Works article:
of Consumer Guide, the Editors. "17 Home Remedies for Poison Ivy." 15 January 2007. HowStuffWorks.com. <http://health.howstuffworks.com/home-remedies-for-poison-ivy.htm> 17 May 2008.
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