Spring is here and the world is coming back to life: trees, flowers, your lawn and the ever-dreaded poison ivy. We’ve all heard the saying, “Leaves of three, let them be,” yet hundreds of thousands of people each year contract a rash from poison ivy. Be careful the next time you find yourself trekking through the woods!

Is poison ivy contagious?

Well, it depends. It’s the oil found on the leaf, vines and roots of the ivy, called urushiol, that gives people the rash. Now, common sense dictates that if you have this oil on your skin and then touch your friend, you have just passed on more than a handshake. The oil can also be found on clothes and pets who have been around poison ivy. This is the only way poison ivy is contagious.

The rash itself is not contagious. Once all the oil is gone, either by bodily absorption or simply being washed away, if you were to touch your friend now, the rash will not be passed along. Even if your poison ivy develops blisters and these blisters break, the fluid will not spread the rash to others or elsewhere on your body.

Are some people immune to poison ivy?

The rash someone gets from poison ivy is an allergic reaction, not a disease or fungus. Because it’s an allergy, that means some people will have varying degrees of immunity. This immunity can change over the course of one’s life, just like how allergies to dust and pollen sometimes come and go with time.

Even if you have a high tolerance to poison ivy, you should still try to avoid it. Who knows when your immunity will change?

-Magdalena

Do you have any tips or home remedies for poison ivy? Comment and tell us about it!

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