Poison Ivy diagnosis and treatment
- SAME day Appt - Evenings - Saturdays.
- Accept most insurances.
- Discount for uninsured ($90).
- Board Certified Doctor.
- Convenient Manhattan Location
*Care provided for 18 years of age and older
Recent Patient Comments
I was shooting a photography project for a class in the woods outdoors when I caught poison ivy. For those that have never had it consider yourself lucky. Dr. F. took one look and told me what it was and then wrote me a quick prescription that cleared up all the redness and made the insane itching stop. I don’t know what I would have done without Dr. F’s treatment. I would probably still be scratching myself silly!
- Lester J.
We accept most insurances
- 1199
- Admin. Concepts
- Aetna
- Aftra Health Fund
- AliCare
- Allied Benefit
- Allstate
- Amalgamated Life
- Ameriben
- Anthem
- Assurant
- Atlantis
- Beech Street
- Benefit Concepts
- Blue Cross
- Can Assistance
- CareFirst
- CD PHP
- Celtic
- Cigna
- CISI
- Companion Life
- Consolidated
- Coventry
- Delta Health
- EBS-RMSCO
- Emblem Health
- Empire Plan
- Fallon
- First health
- FreeLancers
- Frontier International
- GEHA
- GHI
- GHMSI
- Gilsbar
- Global Excel
- Golden Rule
- Great West
- Guardian
- Harrington Health
- Hartford
- HCC medical
- Health Choice
- Health Equity
- Health plan Admin.
- Healthnet
- HPHC
- IMG
FAQ
- What is poison ivy?
- What are the symptoms?
- Who does it affect?
- How do you get poison ivy?
- How can I tell if a plant was poison ivy?
- How is poison ivy diagnosed?
- What can I do at home if I have come into contact with poison ivy?
- When should I go to the doctor?
- How can I avoid getting it again?
What is poison ivy?
Poison ivy is a plant in the same family as poison oak and poison sumac. All three plants have a colorless oil named urushiol on their leaves, roots, stem and in their sap. 50% of people have an allergic reaction if they come into contact with urushiol. The severity of the reaction usually decreases with age.
What are the symptoms?
If you came into contact with poison ivy, you may exhibit the following symptoms:
1. Skin swelling
2. Skin redness
3. Intense itching
The symptoms usually present between 4 and 96 hours after your initial contact with the plant. However, the peak of your reaction can range from 1 to 14 days after the initial contact due to your own body’s reaction.
Sometimes symptoms can arise much later due to repeat contact. If you touched a pet’s fur, gardening tools or clothes that have touched poison ivy you can experience a new rash. If you contract poison ivy, it is important to wash any other surfaces that may have come in contact with the plant to avoid recontamination.
Who does it affect?
Poison ivy affects all skin types and races, and is found throughout the majority of the United States. Some people will never present symptoms but 50% of people have an allergic reaction.
How do you get poison ivy?
You can contract poison ivy in three ways:
1. Direct contact - part of your skin touching a part of the plant
2. Indirect contact -Handling something that has touched the plant - ex: garden tools or a pet’s fur
3. Breathing in the smoke if the plant is burned
If you have spent time outside lately, you may have come into contact with the plant without your knowledge.
How can I tell if a plant was poison ivy?
The old phrase “Leaves of three, let them be,” is a useful way to remember that a plant with three leaves on a single stem is best left alone. Both poison ivy and poison oak have leaves in this formation. Poison sumac can have five, seven or even more leaves on top of its stem. Depending on the area that you live, poison ivy can grow around trees as vines or low to the ground.
How is poison ivy diagnosed?
Our doctors will discuss your possible exposure to poison ivy and look for the characteristic presentations. If you had direct contact, the poison ivy rash will most likely present as a line of inflammation from brushing against the plant. Indirect contact can present completely differently.
If you are unsure that your reaction is due to poison ivy, it is important to see a doctor. There are many other irritants(other plants, chemicals, insect bites) that can cause a skin reaction like that of poison ivy. With the help of one of our doctor’s you can be appropriately diagnosed and treated.
What can I do at home if I have come into contact with poison ivy?
1. Wash as soon as possible - If you believe you have come into contact with poison ivy, it is important to wash gently with soap and water. The sooner you can wash, the better. You can also clean any other items that could have come into contact with the plant: pets, garden tools or clothing.
Once the swelling, itching and redness have begun, the following may help treat the symptoms:
1. Topical remedies - Calamine lotion or lotions containing menthol may soothe the skin. Cool wet compresses or oatmeal baths have also been shown to be helpful for some. If liquid is seeping out of your blisters, Burow’s solution or Domeboro may help.
2. Oral antihistamines - These may be helpful for some people. If you have trouble sleeping due to the itching, using the antihistamines with sedation(ones that cause drowsiness) may help you sleep. You should not use antihistamine creams. They can make your rash worse.
3. Avoid scratching as much as possible. This will only make it worse.
Unfortunately, once you have the rash these treatment options only treat the symptoms of itching, redness and swelling, but will not cure you of the allergic reaction.
When should I go to the doctor?
You should make an appointment with one of our doctors if:
1. You are unsure that you have poison ivy
2. The rash is severe
3. You are experiencing a lot of swelling
4. The rash covers a large part of your body
5. The rash is on your face or genitals
6. The rash is infected
7. The rash does not heal after 2 to 3 weeks.
If any of these apply to you, you should make an appointment as soon as possible.
One of our doctors can help you decide the best plan of action from the following:
1. Topical remedies - Calamine lotion or lotions containing menthol may soothe the skin. Cool wet compresses or oatmeal baths have also been shown to be helpful for some. If liquid is seeping out of your blisters, Burow’s solution or Domeboro may help.
2. Oral antihistamines - These may be helpful for some people to relieve itching.
3. Steroid pills- These are prescription pills for the most extreme of reactions. For example, if you are having a reaction on your face or genitals. These are not appropriate for mild cases.
4. Steroid creams - Prescription strength creams may help in the first few days of symptoms.
5. Antibiotics- if you are suffering from an infection due to scratching or poison ivy that developed in an open wound, one of our doctors can prescribe antibiotics.
How can I avoid getting it again?
The best way is to avoid any contact with the plant. Familiarize yourself with how the plant looks and where the plant may live near you. Unfortunately, the plant can cause irritation year round and even after the plant itself has died.
Ways to avoid contact include:
1. Wear protective clothing - not only do you need to cover your skin, but also be careful to take off all the clothing and wash it as soon as possible to prevent indirect contact.
2. Wear heavy duty vinyl gloves - the oil from poison ivy can seep through other gloves
3. Wash off immediately if you know you’ve come in contact with poison ivy.
4. Some creams like Ivy Block can be used to create a barrier between your skin and any potential contact with poison ivy. These products must be reapplied every 4 hours.
If you are unsure whether you have poison ivy, contact our offices today to make an appointment. Walk In clinic NYC is conveniently located in Midtown Manhattan at 274 Madison Ave(between 39-40 streets) Suite #304, New York, NY 10016. To schedule an appointment call us at (212) 696-5900