What therapies does Dr. Weil recommend for poison oak?
The best treatment for poison oak is to run hot water on the affected areas, as hot as you can stand. This will seem counterintuitive, since heat increases the itching and cold soothes it. Under hot water the itching will briefly become very intense and then will stop for several hours, as if the nerves responsible for conveying the sensation to the brain become overloaded and quit. As soon as the itching starts again, go back to the hot water. If you do this conscientiously the whole reaction will complete itself quickly and your skin will return to normal much faster than it would otherwise. • If you wish, use calamine lotion as a topical treatment. • Aloe vera gel can help heal skin irritated by scratching. • Do not take oral prednisone for poison ivy or oak unless the cause is so severe that you become systematically ill (fever, difficulty in urinating, etc.) Do not use topical steroids unless specifically instructed to do so by a physician. • Change clothing as soon as possible af
