Are rashes from poison ivy contagious?
Coming into contact with poison ivy will, for the majority of people, result in an itchy red rash. This allergic reaction is caused by the chemical urushiol, found in poison ivy plants. The urushiol binds to the skin and causes it to break out in a rash, itchy bumps, and even blisters and weeping sores in worse cases. A poison ivy rash is very easily contracted all it takes is for someone to brush against a leaf of the plant, and the urushiol will immediately attach to the skin. This is one of the main reasons for the belief that scratching a poison ivy rash can cause the rash to spread. This is a myth scratching isn’t going to spread your rash! The only way that this will happen is if you haven’t washed since coming into contact with the poison ivy. In fact, you can often prevent the rash from appearing if you realise that you’ve touched some poison ivy, by refraining from touching the area, applying rubbing alcohol, and then rinsing and washing with warm water and soap. The reason th
