How to Treat Poison Ivy while Hiking

Video Transcript

Hi this is David Jackel on behalf of Expert Village, and I am here to talk to you about poison ivy in the Appalachian Mountains. Now poison ivy can ruin a trip very quickly, and unfortunately the Appalachians are filled with poison ivy. The irritation from the oils of poison ivy starts as a small rash, and then grows to a rash that covers different parts of your body, and it itches and it burns. It is very uncomfortable. In order to treat poison ivy you need to know three things. First, how to spot it. Second, how to prevent it. And third, how to treat it if you do get it. Poison ivy has leaves of three. These are shiny leaves and the leaves have ridges that point upwards. Poison ivy can grow just about anywhere; in the water, in a bush, up in the trees. If you are not sure whether or not it is poison ivy, do not take a chance, do not touch it. I personally do not go around touching plants unless I am really sure what they are. An important point to remember is that the irritation you experience from poison ivy is actually your body's reaction to the oils that come from poison ivy. So you can get what is referred to as poison ivy when you are exposed to those oils, and those oils can be attached to the plant, but they can also be attached to your clothing if you brush up against the plant or anything else that has touched the plant. So you want to make sure that if you are walking through foliage that you keep an eye on what you are walking through before you start touching your clothing. If you think you have been exposed to poison ivy, wash the area with cold water. Make sure that it is cold because hot water will open your pores. As soon as you can, treat the area with a medicated scrub. I tend to use a product called Zanfel, but there are other products out there like it that actually bonds with the toxins that are in poison ivy to help remove those toxins from your body. If you are not sure whether or not you have been exposed to poison ivy, but you think you might have been, you should use this kind of scrub, because even though it is not particularly cheap, it is worth it to not risk actually getting poison ivy, because once you have gotten it, you have to deal with it and you may be dealing with it for up to a week.

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