How do I prevent a rash from exposure to poison oak?
For most people who come into contact with it, poison oak causes a rash on the skin. This is because the majority of people experience an allergic reaction to an oil called urushiol whichh is present in poison oak plants. The effects of this reaction – known as urushiol-induced contact dermatitis – vary in severity, but the most common response is a red rash, with raised bumps on the skin, causing itching that is often quite unbearable.
There's no real cure for poison oak rash – only some remedies that can ease the symptoms, relieve the itching, and in some cases speed up the healing of the rash. But the rash itself is fairly unpredictable – it can spread internally and continue to surface unexpectedly in new places just when you think you're getting rid of it. There's not much you can do other than alleviate the itching and wait for the urushiol to take its course. However, if you react quickly enough when you realize that you've had contact with poison oak, you can prevent a rash from ever appearing in the first place, or at least minimize the severity.
Prevention is the best measure you can take. Of course, it's much better to spot the poison oak and avoid it like the plague! But if you do accidentally brush against some, you can still take steps to prevent the nasty consequences for your skin. You need to stop the urushiol from being absorbed by your skin. This means (a) getting it off as quickly as possible, and (b) not touching your skin! A very common and natural reaction on realizing that you've just touched poison ivy is to rub the skin in an unthinking attempt to brush off the oil. You need to strongly resist this urge! If you rub the skin, you'll not only spread the oil to other parts of your body, but you'll unintentionally rub it in and cause it to be absorbed much more quickly. Once that happens, you're stuck with it – you can't wash it off once it's soaked in.
Instead, you need to immediately take steps to get rid of the oil that's gotten on your skin. If you have any rubbing oil, you should apply it liberally to kill the urushiol, and then rinse well with cold water. Make sure it's cold – hot water will open up your pores, which just makes it easier for the urushiol to be absorbed. After rinsing, wash the affected area thoroughly with soap and lukewarm water.
You also need to eliminate any possibility of further contact with urushiol. Wear gloves as you do this! Firstly, destroy the poison ivy plant if it's in your garden or yard. Wash any items that may have been exposed to poison oak – gardening tools, for example. If you think your dog or cat may have touched some, then wash him or her as well. Then take a full shower – be careful when removing clothes and footwear, since the urushiol may also be present on these! Wear gloves, and minimize contact between the outside of the clothes and your skin. Put clothes and shoes in the washing machine, and then, finally, wash yourself! If you've been thorough, you've hopefully just saved yourself a lot of discomfort and future infections.
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