Poison Ivy Rash | 5 Tips to Avoid Poison Ivy

5 Tips to Avoid Poison Ivy

image Poison Ivy, everybody’s heard of it at some point in their life whether it was from a cartoon or just walking in the forest with a few friends. Many people take this weed for granted and ignore the fact that it is poisonous. But in actual fact this weed can cause serious rashes and even blistering when the oil from this plant comes in contact with your skin. Poison ivy rash (Toxicodendron rydbergii) causes the skin to form little red blisters, which in turn if scratched releases the toxic oils to other parts of the skin causing the rash to spread rather quickly. So to avoid this nasty little side effect here are 5 tips that you can use to avoid the plant all together, saving you some anguish and misery.

  1. 1. The first and most common prevention is knowing what the plant looks like so you can avoid touching it. As the old saying goes, “Leaves of three, Let it be”. When you see sprouts with 3 almond shaped leaves coming out a reddish stem then know to move away!
  2. 2. The second way to avoid being caught in this itchy predicament is to dress accordingly. If you know or suspect that the place where you’re going to be walking is going to have poison ivy then wear long pants. Even trace amounts can be transferred from your clothes to your skin, which can cause a rash. But direct contact is much worse.
  3. 3. The third way to avoid poison ivy is to know your surroundings. If you know you surrounding area and forests well then you can avoid areas that have high concentrations of poison ivy all together.
  4. 4. The fourth way is a perfect way to go about it because it allows you to wear shorts and just walk around care free. You can buy several different kinds of poison ivy preventative lotions that protect your skin from exposure to the oils altogether.
  5. 5. The final and very inventive way of avoiding poison ivy is if you get it on your clothes you can avoid touching it by standing under direct sunlight and having the oil evaporate away from you. This will also save you from having it touch you skin when you have to wash the oil soaked clothes later on. If you follow these 5 tips your sure to make your out doors trips itch free!

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