Summertime...
July 16, 2009 And the livin' is NOT easy.
If you read yesterday’s post, you probably noted that I am currently afflicted with poison ivy. Anyone out there feeling my pain right now? I have the feeling that I’m not the only one.
Actually, I know I’m not the only one... My husband, father-in-law and mother-in-law all have it too. There’s something itchy going on around here.
The really good news is that neither of the kids have it. I just can't bear the thought of this nasty thing ravaging their baby skin...
This is the first time I’ve ever had it, so I’ve been doing a little research online. (Where else?) Here’s what I’ve learned so far...
- The rash is caused by the urushiol oil that comes from the poison ivy plant (also present in poison oak and sumac). You can get the oil on your skin by touching the plant, or if the oil is somehow released into the air, such as by burning or tearing the plants. There is enough oil on the head of a pin to give 500 people the rash... It is VERY potent stuff!
- Once the oil is on your skin, you have a very limited time (I’ve read anywhere from 3 minutes to 15 minutes) to wash it off before it binds to the proteins in your skin and can no longer be washed away.
- The rash itches.
- Not everyone is sensitive to the oil, which is why not everyone gets the rash. However, those who are not sensitive can become sensitive at any point and will remain sensitive for the rest of their life.
- It itches.
- Small children are usually not yet sensitive to the oil. (Thank you, Lord!)
- The rash itself is not contagious. The only way to get the rash is to come into contact with the oil.
- It’s really itchy.
- The rash is caused by your immune system’s reaction to the oil on your skin. Scratching the rash does not make it spread; however, opening the sores by scratching may increase your risk of getting an infection.
- Did I mention that the rash is really itchy?
Truth be told, I don’t know exactly how I got it... A couple weeks ago we were out in the grove at my in-laws fixing the horse fence and my nephew was dragging downed branches away with the 4-wheeler, which could have ripped open the poison ivy plants and released the oil into the air. I know that I was very careful not to touch any plants while I was out there, and I had on boots and long pants. However, my doctor said that the oil can go through clothing.
The other possibility is that Mr. Blue Eyes got it on his clothes while working and I got it on myself when doing laundry.
I’ve never had it before, and I spent many summers frolicking in Minnesota’s dense foliage, so I know that I’m one of those people who develop the sensitivity when they get older. Lucky me.
Sarcasm aside, there are a few things that have made it bearable...
My babies have not gotten it. As I said above, I just thank the Lord for this.
The weather has actually been really temperate for the middle of July... 80-85 degrees at the warmest point of the day, and high 60’s at night. This has gone a long way toward being comfortable.
Thanks to some more online research, I found a method of dealing with it that has helped to minimize the itch, which makes it so much more bearable... I actually read that people rubbed salt on it! Sounds crazy, right? I know. But the website where I found this suggestion had 70+ comments from people saying how well it worked for them, so I decided to give it a try on a small area on my neck. I poured some salt into a little container, added enough water to cover the salt plus a little extra, and then rubbed it onto my neck. I left it there for a minute or so – until the salt began to dry – and then washed it off with cool water. After about five minutes or so, my skin calmed down and the relief was amazing! Let me tell you, after days of being at the mercy of this thing, the possibility of relief almost gave me a feeling of euphoria. Ahhhhhh......
Since then, each morning and evening I rub watered-down salt (a pretty generous amount) all over the affected areas. I leave it on until it starts to dry, then wash it off in the shower under a cool stream of water. This usually keeps me from itching for most of the day. It does not seem to stop the spread of the rash, but it makes it so much more bearable. Plus, the twice daily salt scrub feels soooooo good.
There is one caveat... Now that I am finally starting to get over the initial itching and swelling stage, the spots are becoming more hard (like a welt) and a little bit painful. I'm wondering if putting on the salt may exacerbate this stage and make it hurt more. Next time I may take it a litte more gently on the salt scrubs if I can.
Here is my disclaimer: I AM NOT recommending that anyone does this. I’m not a doctor. I’m not a pharmacist, herbalist, or representative for the Morton salt company. All I am saying is that it has worked for me in the most wonderful way. (Well, as wonderful as anything poison ivy-related can be.) I tried skipping the salt rub for a few days and used some topical gels instead, and the itch came back with a vengeance. I went back to my salt scrub method this morning and the itch has subsided. If you have poison ivy and want to try this method, I would recommend that you first try a small area first and see if it works for you.
If you’ve got experience with this stuff, please feel free to leave a comment on how you deal with it. I’d love to know!
That’s my public service announcement. Leave it or take it... with a grain of salt. ;)
Now I'm off to scratch something...
Reader Comments (5)
I'm SO SORRY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yuck, I've taken care of poison ivy patients....wouldn't want to be one.
Oh man....I am one of those that seem to not be affected by Poison Ivy. However, I remember the result of walking into a swarm of mosquitos at camp when I was in the 6th grade. I had over 100 mosquito bites (as did the rest of our group on the same hike. We were MISERABLE. I feel your pain.
Yucko. I've never had it but it sounds soooo uncomfortable. I'm so glad your kiddos haven't gotten it!!
~Michelle
Yikes, sorry to hear about the poison Ivy! I don't think we have any around here. I think the salt could be helpful, it is very healing! Take it easy and like you, I'm thankful the kiddos didn't get it too!
I am so sorry that you are having to deal with this! I am happy to say I have not had it before, but I will keep the salt remedy in mind for the future if something unfortunate happens. We used to have Poison Oak in Cali, but not sure what Idaho has here in that department.