Calamine lotion, Salt water and backing soda to get rid of poison oak itching

How to treat poison oak?



Poison oak is one of the worst poisonous plants that can affect you. One of the things to do is to learn all you can about poison oak. The primary thing would be the difference between poison oak and poison ivy and to identify the leaves of both plants. This will go a long way in you managing to avoid them and not being affected by them altogether. The reason this is important is that there is no ready treatment available for poison oak infestations. There are various methods you can try to temporarily get relief from the terrible itching, however. But please do remember that these will provide momentary relief, and will not really cure or take away the problem.

One of the best remedies that seem to work well is to run hot water over the affected area. Avoid using soap, which will not help any. Hot water seems to numb the itching for as long as a few hours at a time. Calamine lotion will also provide some element of relief from the itching. Once again, it will be for a very short time only. Salt water is also considered to be particularly useful in getting rid of the itching caused by poison oak. If possible, try to get to the ocean, since natural salt water has its own positive properties, and they have a tendency to work better on poison oak and ivy as well. You can also apply a solution of diluted bleach to the affected area - one part of bleach to 10 parts of water. This will help to get rid of the itching. But it is important you remember that this needs to be washed off within five minutes or it can cause more harm than good. You can also apply a paste made of baking soda and rose water to the affected areas. This will provide relief from the burning as well.

answered by G M


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