What happens if I touch poison ivy?
If you've touched poison ivy, nothing will happen straightaway. You won't suddenly break out in a rash or bumps, and it most likely won't start to itch immediately. The symptoms can actually take around 48 hours to appear, so it's entirely possible not to notice that you've touched poison ivy until it's too late – because when the rash appears, that's a sure sign that it's too late to prevent it!
Even if you've taken the time to familiarize yourself with poison ivy's appearance so that you can recognize and avoid it, it's till very easy to accidentally brush against the plant before you see it. And while you'll undoubtedly get a sinking feeling when you spot it and realize that you've come into contact with it, don't fear the worst – you may still be able to prevent any uncomfortable consequences if you act quickly enough.
The most important thing is not to touch your skin. The poison ivy will have left a layer of urushiol on there – the toxic oil that causes the common poison ivy allergic reaction. While it's on the surface of the skin, it won't do any damage – but if you touch it, you'll rub it in and spread it, and if you leave it unattended it will quickly be absorbed by the skin, which is when it starts to take effect. So the two key pieces of advice if you know you've touched poison ivy are: don't touch, and respond quickly! If you can, apply rubbing alcohol (or a specialized poison ivy treatment if you happen to have some). If you don't have anything to hand, then don't waste time going to the store to find some – cold water will do if it's all you have. Rinse the area thoroughly. Then wash with soap and lukewarm water. If you're lucky, you'll get rid of all the urushiol from the surface of the skin, and prevent, or at least minimize, the allergic reaction.
If you haven't managed to do this, or if you didn't notice at the time that you'd touched the poison ivy, then the first thing you'll notice is the appearance of a red rash, with small, raised bumps, often in more than one place on your skin. This is known as urushiol-induced contact dermatitis, which causes blood vessels close to the surface of the skin to expand and leak. There may also be some swelling, and many sufferers break out in fluid filled blisters, which often ooze and crust over.
However, the most common feature of rashes from poison ivy is itchiness. This can be maddening, and while scratching won't spread the rash, it can cause the skin to become even more inflamed, raw, and painful, or even lead to infections if the skin is broken by deep scratching. It's best to resist the temptation to scratch, and to seek relief from topical medicines such as calamine lotion, or to try natural remedies to cool and soothe the skin.
Usually, there's no need to go to a doctor if you have touched poison ivy, but you should seek medical advice if your symptoms haven't cleared up after a few weeks. A visit to the doctor is urgently required if poison ivy gets into the eyes, mouth or throat.
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