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Aloe Vera Tips & Solutions - Poison Ivy Treatment August 03, 2015 |
Aloe Vera Tips & Solutions monthly newsletter/ezine of www.aloe-vera-and-handy-herbs.com avavavavavavavavavavavavavavavav Vol. 4 #45 August 3, 2015 Contents: Taking Care of Ourselves -Poison Ivy Treatment If you should find yourself walking in woods, you ought to know a poison ivy treatment - just in case you or someone else encounters this plant. Not everyone is allergic to poison ivy, but you don't know that until you have touched some. In fact, this allergy can happen with two similar leaves; oak and sumac. Fortunately, the same treatments can be applied. Your first line of protection if you are going to hike or walk in unfamiliar territory, is to wear long pants, and long sleeves. I know, you think you will get hot from the exertion and want to wear shorts. Well, you have been warned! Is comfort more important to you than protection from a crisis of extreme itch? 2 Immediate Poison Ivy Treatments Poison ivy, oak leaves, or sumac leaves, give off a sap, or oil called urushiol. It only takes a few tiny drops to set up a huge reaction in your skin. However, you have about five to ten minutes before the itch becomes a fire. Assuming all warnings are too late; you have just brushed against these poisonous leaves, whether of ivy, oak, or sumac, - or your dog has just run through such a patch, and come to you for a petting - (yes, you can get it second-hand like that), what can you do immediately in those five to ten minutes to alleviate the painful itch? I don't know this from personal experience, but I've read that if you can get to water and quickly wash the spots on your skin where those urushiol drops touched you, you may get most of that oil off before it penetrates into your skin. Let's hope! Remember to be careful not to rub the spots as that will drive it into your skin. Rather, rinse, rinse, rinse! Wash your clothes and shoes too, as soon as possible, so you don't spread it all over your body, or pass your poison ivy on to someone else. Secondly, learn to recognize what the jewelweed plant looks like. It has tall, translucent stems and hanging, trumpet-shaped yellow or orange flowers. It gets its name from the way the leaves repel water droplets, making them look like jewels on the leaves. If you spot jewelweed nearby, crush a handful of that plant's leaves and stems, and smear the juice that breaks out of them onto your affected areas. It works against the poison, so makes a natural poison ivy treatment. This was news to me, so I did a quick internet search, and promptly came to this page, with photos and more details; wildmanstevebrill.com...Jewelweed.html Remedies for the Long Recovery Period Supposing you didn't know the above immediate poison ivy treatments, or you forgot, what should you do when the itch and pain sets in at home? First off, now you want to cool down the itch with ice or cold pack compresses. There are a number of things to try. If one doesn't do it, try another. Ah-ha! I like this first one; to draw out the poisonous oil, apply pure aloe vera gel from a plant leaf. Bottled aloe vera may not be as strong as it is usually diluted with preservatives, but if that's all you can get - try that too. Lacking aloe
vera try; There are some fairly decent ideas on besthealthmag.ca, but you know me, I favour the aloe vera suggestions.
A Practical Tip/Solution - My Poison Ivy Treatment I don't expect to be anywhere near those poisonous leaves, but if I should, I want to remember to rinse immediately - even if I have pour my drinking water on the spots! I would look around for that jewelweed (and I need to study up on it to make sure I'd recognize it). As soon as I got home I'd split one of my aloe vera plant leaves, and get it over the spots, and hold it in place. Maybe in a few minutes replace it with another one. The goal being to draw that poison OUT! I am a Forever Living Business Owner, and the one product I use the most, is the tube of Aloe Heat, a lotion that has aloe vera in it, but also a bit of cayenne, which works wonders for making minor pain and hives, etc., disappear in seconds. As soon as the raw aloe vera had drawn out the poison - or as much as possible. I would start applying this Aloe Heat lotion, and as often as needed to be pain free. I suspect I would not need the other compresses, but just in case, if the aloe vera doesn't do it in a few hours, I might give the other compresses a try. But I would keep coming back to aloe vera! Naturally.
I Recommend - Every first-aid kit should have some aloe vera for skin care. Real aloe vera plants in the home would be the perfect choice. But you can sometimes get them mostly used up in a hurry. So whether you do or don't have the plants on hand, I would recommend you order the Forever Living lotions, ointments or sprays that you prefer. For convenience, and as first aide items you can take with you. To order if you are in the USA, go HERE, or if you are in Canada go HERE. (The online store/sites are set up by countries. If you live in any other country, just click the USA or Canada link, and change the location menu at the top to your country, or the nearest to you).
Blessings & Thanks! Ruth Marlene Friesen
Contact & Policies - Constant CONTACT INFO: Ruth Marlene Friesen (306)856-7785 Ruth@aloe-vera-and-handy-herbs.com
POLICIES: I am definitely against S/p/a/m! I Will NOT share your COPYRIGHT (c)2015 Ruth Marlene Friesen
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