Just How Contagious Is Poison Ivy

The poison ivy plant is one of the most common problems that parents have to be careful of and spend lots of time making sure that their children understand how they are able to distinguish it. But sometimes this is not adequate to keep them away from it. Each year it appears that our kids find themselves all over it and before we realize it they have developed a rash.

When this takes place many of us wear the rubber gloves and keep the kids who are not infected away from them. It is better if we merely have one kid to treat then two or three. But is this really required? Is the rash contagious.

Numerous of us would say that it is because the bulk of the common rashes are. What individuals do not understand is that it is merely contagious when the skin or anything that has come into contact with the plant has spots of urushiol still on it and it comes into contact with somebody else’s skin.

Urushiol oil is the liquid that is held in the poison ivy plant. It flows through the whole plant - but can only be seen when a part of the plant is broken open. However, though it may not be seen on the leaves of the plant it can be transmitted to people when they come into contact with them.

Contrary to popular belief the liquid that is given off from the poison ivy blisters that have burst open cannot induce somebody to break out into skin rashes and blisters.

Though poison ivy is not infectious it is best to directly clean the infected child and the clothes that they were wearing at the time. This will make sure that all of the urushiol oil has been removed and is not able to come into contact with anybody else.