Treating Poison Ivy Naturally

Peanut has come down with a good case of poison ivy. It just  would not be a holiday around our house unless someone ends up at Urgent Care. Thank God for Urgent Care.
What has started out looking like she was hit by a passing branch while walking through the woods has undoubtedly become a nice case of poison ivy. Until today when her eye started swelling shut we were using natural treatments for poison ivy. Today it was necessary to bring in the big guns. (the steroids). We like to avoid prescription drugs as much as we can here. Following the adage. First do no harm.






So how do we treat poison ivy naturally?

• Wash the afflicted area thoroughly, some swear by Dawn dish detergent. But any good soap will do. Do this as soon as you suspect poison ivy.
• Apply Aloe Vera to help soothe the skin
• Jewel Weed , usually grows near poison ivy and can be crushed and applied to the skin. In our case Peanut got poison ivy from the dogs. So we are not sure where to find the jewel weed.
• Rhus tox is a homeopathic remedy that people find success with. The stores around here are out of so be sure to get yours and have it on hand before you need it.
• Apple Cider Vinegar makes a soothing wash and helps stop the itch – (what doesn’t vinegar work for?)
• Tea Tree Oil –dilute it in a carrier oil like olive or almond and rub into affected area.
• Oatmeal – make a paste it helps the skin heal. If the poison ivy is over a large area take a bath with oatmeal.
• Baking Soda seems to help many who suffer from poison ivy
• Cold compresses
• Salt Water - an old fashion remedy for sure. My grandmother's favorite was to take someone to the beach and let them soak in the ocean. Since we live in the middle of the continent, the ocean is out of the question but a salt water treated pool certainly helps. 

So what did we do? We used all of these except the Rhus tox (did I tell you they are OUT of it all around town?). I will be ordering some. And since her eye started to swell shut we went to Urgent Care and she was prescribed a steroid, but wait. No pharmacy in town carried her dosage. They won’t have it for two more days. So we are continuing with the natural treatments until we can get her started on the steroids and she can see again. Poor child she is falling apart.

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