Health Tip: Help Prevent a Poison Ivy Rash

(HealthDay News) -- Touching or even getting close to a poison ivy plant can result in an itchy, uncomfortable rash anywhere from head to toe.

The Nemours Foundation offers these suggestions to help protect children from a poison ivy rash:

  • Teach kids to recognize poison ivy plants, and to stay away from them.

  • Don't allow children to play in areas where you know poison ivy lives.

  • Accounting for the hottest summer days, dress children in long-sleeved shirts and long pants before they go into areas where the poisonous plants might grow.

  • If your dog has played in the woods or leafy areas outdoors, bathe it to help ensure there's no urushiol -- the chemical that causes the poison ivy rash -- on its coat.

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