i am a very unhappy girl right now because i have a horrible case of poison ivy. i have awful itchy red welts on the back of my thighs, calves, behind my knees, on my arms, chest. . . i have not done anything in the yard in weeks (months?) so i know that it must be from my cat. he's been extra snuggly lately, which is generally irresistible. but i have seen him wading around in patches of poison ivy, and with the recent rainfall, he has probably been dripping with urushiol, the volatile oil in the plant that causes the awful reaction in those that are sensitive to it (that would be ME).
when i'm busy -- walking, cooking, cleaning the house -- i'm less likely to feel so tortured. but as soon as i sit down -- to read, to work, to rest -- i find myself strung out in a frenzy of itchy annoyance.
typing helps. when my hands are typing, they can't be itching.
and so, on to other topics.
2 comments:
Hi Zoe, running the area affected under the hottest water you can stand really helps - takes away the itching for at least 4 hours and I think it helps it go away faster also.
Hope you feel better soon, Malena
Hi Malena,
I've been taking a couple of showers a day, the hot water definitely brings relief for a little while. I'm also using a homeopathic spray that brings some relief.
Usually if I think I've had contact with poison ivy, I scrub right away with vinegar and cold water. But this took me by surprise. I'm always worried that the hot water is spreading the oil, but I think that is a concern only after immediate contact with the plant.
oh well, another day, another itch.
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