Poison ivy rash: what to do first, what helps the itch, and when to get care

• Wash your skin well with soap and warm water. Try to do it within 30 minutes.
• Scrub under your fingernails.
• Wash your clothes and shoes with soap and hot water. The oil can stay on them.
• Bathe pets that may have the oil on their fur.

The fluid in the blisters does not spread the rash. Once the oil is washed off, the rash does not often spread from person to person. But the oil can stay on clothes, tools, shoes and pets for a long time.

• Stay cool and use cool compresses. Heat and sweat can make the itch worse.
• Calamine lotion or hydrocortisone cream can ease itching and blistering.
• Allergy pills (antihistamines) may help if creams and baths do not.

For a bad rash, especially on the face or genitals, a doctor may prescribe steroid pills or a shot.

Get emergency care right away (call 911) if you have trouble breathing, a tight throat or swelling of the mouth or throat, if you have had a severe reaction to these plants before, or if you breathed in smoke from burning poison ivy, oak or sumac.

See a doctor in person for:

• Swelling of the face or lips
• A rash on or near the eyes, in the mouth, or on the genitals
• Blisters over large areas, or a rash covering a large part of the body
• Fever, pus, or skin that looks infected
• Severe pain or swelling that gets worse fast

If you are in Virginia or West Virginia, you can start a visit online at any time. It is for adults and children 4 and older (with a parent or legal guardian) with a typical itchy plant rash that stays on the skin. You send a clear photo.

A board-certified physician reviews your answers and photo. If medicine is right for you, the doctor can send a prescription to your pharmacy. If you need to be seen in person, the doctor will tell you.

It is not for anyone with the signs in the list above or trouble breathing.

Visits start at $59. You see the price before you pay, and you do not need insurance.