How can a poison plant allergy be treated or managed?

It is a good idea to avoid poison plants. If they are in your garden (or parts of your garden where you like to walk), it might be a good idea to get rid of them and replace them with other plants. Avoiding poison plants is difficult if you enjoy bushcraft or walking or camping in forests though. In these scenarios, it might be a good idea to wear full length trousers and shirts, and possibly gloves if you will be touching plants or the ground with your hand. Urushiol will stick less to vinyl (as comapred with leather), and might be able to pass through rubber gloves. Bentoquatam is a type of cream that can stop urushiol binding to your skin.

Make sure that you don't touch any exposed parts of your body with any clothing that might have come into contact with urushiol oils. Wash any clothing that has come into contact with urushiol, and wash any parts of your skin that have developed a rash or come into contact with it too with water and soap. If you wash your skin within 15 minutes of exposure, water and soap can remove the urushi oils, but after 15 minutes, it is chemically bonded to your skin, and will cause changes in your skin cells. Some commercial washing solutions (such as Tecnu and Zanfel) can also remove the urushiol oils.

The rash will die down after 2 weeks, without any scarring. Ice or cold water will not reduce the rash, but might make it less itchy. Corticosteroids (such as prednisolone) or antihistamines (such as diphenhydramide or cimetidine can also help with ease symptoms. Urinating on the rash does not help.

Plant Allergies Guide Index:

• What are poison plant allergies?
• What is urushiol?

• What are the signs and symptoms of a poison plant allergy?
• How can a poison plant allergy be treated or managed?