Poison ivy

Is your summer to-do list filled with outdoor activities? Be alert to possible summer skin irritants, such as poison ivy.

Poison ivy grows as vines or low shrubs in most climates. Each leaf on a poison ivy plant has three smaller leaflets. Contact with any part of the poison ivy plant can cause red, swollen skin, blisters and severe itching, usually within two days after exposure.

A poison ivy rash usually resolves on its own within one to three weeks. In the meantime, control itching with calamine lotion or hydrocortisone cream. Consult your doctor if you have a severe poison ivy rash or if the rash involves your eyes, face or genital area.

Poison oak and poison sumac cause a similar rash.