What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Poison Ivy?
Urushiol is considered an allergen because it causes an allergic reaction — which takes the form of a rash, itching, and sometimes swelling. Not everyone gets a reaction to urushiol, but about 60% to 80% of people do. This reaction can appear within hours of coming into contact with urushiol or as late as 5 days later. Typically, the skin becomes red, itchy, and swollen and blisters will appear. After a few days, the blisters may become crusty and start to flake off. The rash that people get from poison ivy takes 1 to 2 weeks to heal.
