Poison Oak

Poison Oak known scientifically as Toxicodendron diversilobum, along with poison ivy (T. radicans), cause more pain than any other plant in North America. Neither of them offers any preferential treatment, attacking those with whom they come in contact regardless of age, sex, race, or economic status. Poison oak is a broad-leafed shrub that grows through mountains and valleys on the West coast, generally in areas that are below 5,000 feet in elevation. In shady canyons, it usually grows as a climbing vine that has aerial roots able to adhere to the trunks of oaks and sycamores. The shrub regenerates quickly after fires and land clearing. Rocky Mountain poison oak is prevalent throughout the western United States and Canada.

More than half of the population of the United States is sensitive to poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac. If you are one of these people, you can develop an itchy blistering rash any time you come into contact with one of these three plants. Even the dead plants that are in underbrush can transmit the toxic oil to your skin. Some people are so sensitive to these plants that their entire face swells, requiring a trip to the doctor or emergency room for a shot or a prescription medicine to cure it. For that group of people, home remedies are probably not going to work, but for most people, a natural cure will do just as well as any the doctor can prescribe.

Exposure to any of the three plants, ivy, oak, or sumac, causes an itching rash that will usually appear between 24-72 hours after exposure. Most of the time it starts as smell red bumps and then develops into blisters of varying sizes. The rash may also crush or ooze. The rash will develop on any part of the body that has come into contact with the oil from the plant. Though it is usually straight lines or streaks, the rash can be in any shape or pattern. It appears in different places at different times, making it appear as though the rash is spreading. Exposure to the fluid from the blister does not spread the rash. Only additional contact with the oil from the plant can do that, and sources of that may be from sources that are overlooked such as hands, clothing, shoes, tools, and other items you may have touched.

Home Remedies For Poison Oak:

Oak Tree Bark:

Shred a handful of the inner bark of an oak tree. Boil some water, and after removing from heat, add the bark; cover and simmer until it is cool. Apply the solution with a cotton ball as often as possible. The rash will disappear in a couple of days. Be sure to cover the tree wood with tar after taking what you need.

Baking Soda And Vinegar:

Mix baking soda with distilled white vinegar in order to make a paste (the mixture will foam), and rub it on the infected area. Reapply as needed until the rash is gone.

Jewel Weed:

Take a piece of jewel weed and rub some juice from the stem onto the area where you expect to come into contact with the dreaded ivy plant. This will prevent you from developing an allergic reaction to it.

Goldenseal Root:

Apply Goldenseal root extract to a tissue and dab it on the poison ivy or poison oak spots three to five times a day. It usually clears up the rash within two days.