Mayo Clinic Health Manager
Get free personalized health guidance for you and your family.
Get Started
close window
Mayo Clinic Housecall
Stay up to date on the latest health information.
What you get
- Free weekly e-newsletter
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- Recipes, tools and other helpful information
- We do not share your e-mail address
Definition
By Mayo Clinic staffPoison ivy is a common cause of a skin irritation called contact dermatitis that may result in a red, itchy rash consisting of small bumps, blisters or swelling.
Most people have some level of sensitivity to poison ivy and similar toxic plants, such as poison oak and poison sumac. The irritating substance is the same for each plant, an oily resin called urushiol (u-ROO she-ol).
Rashes caused by poison ivy and its cousins generally aren't serious, but they certainly can be bothersome. Treatment for poison ivy mostly consists of self-care methods to relieve the itching until the reaction goes away.
Symptoms
