Poison Oak Rashes

Poison Oak Rashes
Poison oak rashes are caused by a substance name urushiol, which is found in the plant.  Contact with this substance will cause an allergic reaction in a high percentage of people, while others will be immune to its effects. 




It is good to state, however, that immunity can be worn off over time, so the same person after repeated contact with urushiol, can suffer from a rash at one point.

Poison oak rashes will appear after the urushiol has been absorbed by the skin, and this happens usually in the first 48 hours after having contact with the plant.  Some experts say that you can greatly minimize and even avoid the rash if you rinse thoroughly the area with water and then wash it with soap – 10 minutes after you have come in contact with the substance!

Are These Poison Oak Rashes Common?
Poison oak is listed as one of the top things responsible for allergic contact dermatitis in the USA. Although, as we mentioned earlier, the incidence of cases is very high (3 of 4 people will suffer form it) the severity of the rash and itching will vary greatly.  Some people only have redness in the skin, while others will develop bumpy blisters and this can get pretty nasty like you can see in the severe poison oak rash picture here on this Website.

Unlike other types of allergies, there is no immunotherapy for it, and all of the treatments available my medicine are aimed to treat the symptoms.  A cure for this rash does not exist yet.

Preventing Poison oak Rash
Given the risk of having to suffer from two weeks with a nasty rash, information about prevention is of great importance. The first thing you need to do is learn to spot the plant.  Here is what poison oak looks like.



Keep your eyes open and you can save yourself a lot of trouble and suffering.

Second, if you find these plants near your house, remove them with the help of gloves or get the help from someone with experience.  This way you’ll also avoid problems for your guests or kids.

Third, if you know there are poison oak plants in an area, cover your skin as much as possible when walking through the area.  In some cases, the heat can be annoying, but trust me it is way better than having the rash.

Finally, keep your pets away from areas with poison oak.  Animals do not suffer from this kind of rash, but they can easly transport the urushiol to your furniture and even your bed.

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