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• Diagnosis and Tests
• Prevention and Risk Factors
• Treatments and Therapies

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Summary

If you spend time outdoors, chances are you have been bothered by poison ivy, poison oak or poison sumac at some point. Most people are sensitive to the plants' oily sap. The sap is in the root, stems, leaves and fruit of these plants. If it gets on your skin, it causes a blistering skin rash. The rash can range from mild to severe, depending on how much sap gets on your skin and how sensitive you are to it. Problems can also happen if the plants are burned. Airborne sap-coated soot can get into the eyes, nose, throat and respiratory system.

The best way to avoid the rash is to learn what the plants look like and stay away from them. If you come into contact with the plants, wash your skin and clothing right away. If you develop a rash, ask your pharmacist about over-the-counter medicines. For severe rashes, see your doctor.

National Park Service

Start Here

• Outsmarting Poison Ivy and Other Poisonous Plants (Food and Drug Administration) Also in Spanish
• Poison Ivy (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
• Poison Ivy Dermatitis (American Osteopathic College of Dermatology)
• Poison Ivy Rash (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
• Poison Ivy, Oak, and Sumac: What Should I Do if I Touch a Plant? (American Academy of Dermatology)
• Poisonous Plants and Work (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health)

Diagnosis and Tests

• Rash Evaluation (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
• Skin Rashes and Other Problems (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish

Prevention and Risk Factors

• Protecting Yourself from Poisonous Plants (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) Also in Spanish

Treatments and Therapies

• First Aid: Poison Ivy/Oak/Sumac (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

Images

• Poison Ivy, Oak, and Sumac (VisualDX)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: Plant Dermatitis.
• Article: Recurrent erythema multiforme-like reaction secondary to recurrent poison ivy exposure.
• Article: Poison Ivy, Poison Oak, and Poison Sumac.
• Poison Ivy, Oak, and Sumac -- see more articles

Find an Expert

• American Academy of Dermatology
• Find a Dermatologist (American Academy of Dermatology)
• National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
• National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Also in Spanish

Children

• Poison Ivy (Nemours Foundation)
• Poison Ivy Treatment (American Academy of Pediatrics) Also in Spanish

Patient Handouts

• Poison ivy - oak - sumac (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Poison ivy - oak - sumac rash (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish