There will be at least one time in your child’s life when they will come into contact with the poison ivy plant and you will have to treat them. However, because it can take a few hours to a few days for to be noticed you must learn to identify the common symptoms that are associated with it. The more you know what these symptoms are and what they might look like the better chance you have at treating it quickly and not mistaking it for eczema or other types of skin problems.
Poison Ivy Rash
The most common of these symptoms is the poison ivy rash. This is also the easiest to identify. When the skin has come into contact with the urushiol oil that is inside of the plant it will seep into the skin. When this happens the skin will react badly to it and will become inflamed, bright red, and extremely itchy. The area that is affected might be small or slightly large depending on how sensitive their skin is and how much of the toxic substance come into contact with it.
For many people the rash will not only be red but will also have tiny red bumps scattered all over it. These bumps have no specific pattern – but will make the person more itchy. Make sure that your child is not scratching the rash. This will only break the skin open and make it more difficult for it to heal.
Poison Ivy Blisters
Another symptom that people might experience are blisters – which will form on the surface of the rash. These are filled with fluids that will pour out when the blister breaks open. Many people believe that this fluid – when it comes into contact with other people – will spread the infection to other people.
This is a common misconception. The fluid that is contained within the blisters is not made up of any type of chemicals or bacteria. If it appears that the rash might be ‘spreading’ then you should think about other reasons for it. The most common is that there is still urushiol oil on your clothes. That is why people are encouraged to wash their clothes immediately after touching the poison ivy plant.