Is there any home remedies to relieve poison oak ?
The poison-oak is a plant that is not exactly part of the oak family and is predominantly found in the regions of North America. This plant contains a type of oil called urushiol, which is a potent toxin that causes a condition called urushiol-induced contact dermatitis. Dermatitis is the name given to any condition that causes an allergic reaction or inflammation to the skin. This toxin is so powerful and the allergic reactions in some people so powerful that it can form serous blisters and spread all over the body should the oil also be rubbed. This condition can only be limited by immediately treating the area of contact and also by being cautious when in the woods.
Treatment For Poison Oak
It is also useful to understand the mechanisms of how an allergic reactions works. When an allergen comes into contact with the skin, the chemical composition of that allergen will trigger a reaction much the same as that if a pathogen attacked the skin. This reaction is called inflammation and consists of symptoms like swelling, redness, and pain. This is actually the body’s first reaction to sealing off an area of injury and infection and also a mechanism of ridding the body of the irritant. The problem is, unfortunately, that the inflammatory response can be overkill and affect larger swathes of the body than just the area of immediate contact. In some extreme cases of contact with poison-oak, injections of anti-inflammatories would be required to calm the body’s immune system down. The medications used in nearly all severe allergic reactions are corticosteroids and antihistamines – noteworthy, because these are also used in cases of asthma.
If one has come in contact with the poison-oak especially with some damage to the plant tissue, then the first thing to do is to dip the area affected into some alcohol. Alcohol is a solvent and useful in washing off the urushiol, which is an oil. There is no guarantee that the oil would not be on one’s clothes so an immediate change of clothes and a bath is advised. Clothes must be immediately laundered. Some decongestants like diphenhydramine are probably the best to keep the reaction of the body stabilized. Should the infection be in the eyes, prednisone from a local chemist must be administered immediately along with hydrocortisone cream. Keeping the affected area heavily iced until numb is also a useful measure to avoid tissue damage.
