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Treatment:
How to wash it off of your skin:
If you have been in poison sumac in the last few hours, the best thing you can do is wash it off. There are special products made specifically for washing of urushiol (the oil in poison sumac that humans have an allergic reaction to.) Technu and Tec Labs Oak-N-Ivy, are some of the most popular; but chances are you won't have them available when you need them the most. The next best thing is soap and cool or luke warm water. Don't use hot water because the heat will make your pores open and you may wash some of the oil into your skin. Even if lake water or a creek is the only available water source, any washing with water will benefit you.

Don't go back:
NEVER go back into an area where you may come into contact with a poisonous plant after washing off the oil. The natural oils in your skin act as a barrier to poison sumac; if they are removed, the new urushiol will be quickly absorbed by your skin and the resulting rash will be much worse.

How to clean your clothes:
Urishiol (harmful oil in poisonous plants) can stay in your clothes for over a year before it is no longer harmful. Any clothing that came into contact with poison sumac must be washed with soap and warm or hot water. Shoe laces are the most common way that people re-infect themselves after being in poison sumac. Be sure to wash your shoes and shoe laces well before touching them again.

Remember: At the most, you have about 4 hours after coming in contact with a poisonous plant to wash the oil off of your skin.
Home Remedies:
There are as many home remedies for soothing the painful blisters and itching of poison sumac as there are people who have experienced the discomfort. However, most home remedies only sooth the itching as long as the remedy is being administered. There are some commercially available treatments that are more effective.

Over-the-Counter Drugs:
Anti-Itch creams available at any supermarket are effective at stopping the itch. Caladryl "clear lotion" works well for this purpose because it helps with the itching and also tends to dry out the rash and prevent blistering.


Doctor Prescribed:
In advanced cases of poison sumac, where the rash is on your face, on or near genitals, or if it covers most of your body, it is recommended that you see your physician. Your doctor may prescribe a prescription drug called prednisone. Prednisone is actually a mild steroid which is used to treat hundreds of different conditions to limit the bodies immune response. In the case of a poisonous rash from a plant, the drug keeps the bodies immune system from trying to "fight" the urushiol and cause the uncomfortable rash.

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