Poison ivy is a woody vine that has the ability to produce urusiol - a skin irritant that can cause an itch rash when it comes into contact with exposed skin. The scientific name for poison ivy [http://www.poisonivycure.net/poison-ivy-treatment.html] is Toxicodendron Radicans. In order to avoid coming into contact with this plant you must be able to recognize it in its habitat.

An ivy bush has 3 almond shaped light and dark green leaves, although in the fall season these leaves will turn bright red. The leaves are shiny and is smooth on the surface and the edge. The vine looks and feels as if it has hair on its surface. When you can’t remember these details you can always think of the statements "Hair vine, no friend of mine" and "Leaves of three, let it be."

When you do happen to touch poison ivy and your skin comes into contact with the urusiol your skin will break out into a red, itchy rash. This rash looks like any other rash except that it is sometimes worse depending on how much skin was affected. Some people may only have a rash - but others will experience swelling and blistering.

If you do not properly treat the rash it can last for up to two weeks. It can also get infected and could be much worse and may require antibiotics prescribed by your personal physician. You can also make things worse by scratching the rash and therefore must be avoided.

There are several ways to treat a rash formed from the poison ivy plant. Spreading calamine lotion over the rash will help to reduce the swelling and the itching. Another great method is mixing warm water with baking soda.

Pour the baking soda into the water until it forms a thick paste. Then spread the paste over the rash. Allow it to sit on the infected skin for a few minutes before wiping it off. This natural remedy does its job to dry out the rash and help the new skin to heal faster.