For a lot of families, the 4th of July Holiday Weekend meant camping, hiking and outdoor games. Unfortunately, that "back to nature" 4th fun also brought a lot of people in to area clinics with awful itching.  

In the summertime, we know the mosquitoes and gnats are out for blood. Avoiding their bites is almost impossible. Poison ivy, however, is a different story.

 We talked to Kristen Corkle, a Certified Nurse Practitioner at the Avera Harrisburg Medical Clinic. She says the old saying "Leaves of 3, leave them be" still applies today. She's had a lot of patients in the last couple of weeks who wish they would have paid better attention to their surroundings.

Corkle says, "Exposure to poison ivy can occur between 4 hours and 4 days. The signs and symptoms include intense itching, swelling, skin redness, and fluid filled blisters in a linear or steak like pattern."

Corkle says once your rash blisters you should avoid scratching or popping those blisters. If you do scratch you poison ivy rash, the oil from the plant gets under your nails and can spread it to other parts of your body.

Corkle says, "Once you think you have been exposed to one of the poison plants, the most important thing you can do is get the contaminated clothing off and gently wash your skin, especially under your fingernails. You also want to watch for signs of infection. That would be an increased redness, tenderness, and possibly some drainage or pus. If it looks worse it probably is.

CNP Kristen Corkle says you when you tangle with poison oak or ivy will want to scratch your skin off and the topical ointments you can buy over the counter typically aren't strong enough to alleviate your pain. That's why it's best to see your healthcare provider because they can prescribe a more potent topical steroid to help.