How Long After Contact Does It Take For Poison Ivy Rash To Appear?
Poison ivy plant is one of those that trigger allergic reactions upon getting into contact with human skin. This allergy is medically referred to as contact dermatitis. The symptoms appear in form of a red uncomfortable rash that can show up in form of lines that have blisters filled with fluid. In severe cases they allergy may appear in form of large swollen hives. The rash is usually caused when skin gets into contact with a kind of oil found in poison ivy plant usually referred to as urushiol. This oil is contained in the leaves, branches, flowers berries and roots of the poison ivy plant. Urushiol can then be termed as the allergen in this case, even when you handle clothing, pets or tools that have come into contact with poison ivy then you are at risk or getting contact dermatitis. About 15 percent of people do not get this allergic reaction when their skin gets into contact with poison ivy. The rash can manifest in the form of the following symptoms;
* Small bumps on the affected area and in other people huge hives
* Red streaks or lines on the area where the skin was touched by the plant.
* Blisters that are filled with fluid and which may begin to burst and produce colorless liquid.
* Itchiness on the part of the skin where the allergic reaction was triggered.
The rash mostly appears within 8 to 48 hours after contact with any part of the poison ivy plant. Depending on how sensitive the skin is it has been reported to occur 5 to 15 hours after contact. The rash may spread if one rubs it on a different area of the skin. The rash is not contagious, and any signs of spreading could be due to earlier contact with the urushiol. Some people are very sensitive to urushiol and severe symptoms may appear if they get into contact with the poison ivy plant.
* Serious swelling of the face, neck, and genitals, this may prevent one from being able to open their eyes.
* Many blisters that ooze fluid spread across the body
The severity of the rash depends on the contact with urushiol, if you touched the plant then it is likely to form lines or streaks but if you touched pets of tools then it is likely to be even deeper and can last up to 2 to 3 weeks to heal. Fluids do not spread the rash but rather the contact with the plant or other factors that could be bearing urushiol like clothes.
Conclusion
Depending on how sensitive your skin is determines how long it will take for the rash to form.  Normally, with most people, the rash will appear within two days, however in people with more sensitive skin the rash will appear within 24 hours and be excruciatingly itchy. Sadly, for the people with more sensitive skin, it takes around two weeks to heal fully. Talk about annoying!

