text: i have poison ivy, should i see a doctor? i have poison ivy in both of my eyes and on my neck which is kinda swelling up my throat. i also have it right around my mouth, like on my lips and i have it in my nose and its on my genitals. it kinda looks like a thick leathery burn. should i go to the doctor, or just wait it out? go to your doctor!!!!    you are not at risk for swelling your throat shut!  there is no reason to wait it out/suffer! a good doctor will put you on steroids (such as prednisone) for 14 to 21 days! (less time will lead to a rebound of your symptoms thus making you feel worse!).  with the steroid your rash will markedly deminish and you will feel better and look better!  remember that urushiol poisoning (i.e. poison ivy/oak) is not contagious! in other words you cannot transmit it to someone else via your rash! the urushiol toxin is tranmissible by direct contact with the sap/leaf of the plant. this sap stays on your clothes, pet hair etc. (wash all effected clothing in hot, soapy water!). the urushiol binds within 10 minutes of contact so if you know you just brushed up against the plant wash immediately otherwise you are "screwed!"  you will not know you have been otherwise effected until 3 days post exposure when the rash appears.  this is special type of allergic reaction that, unlike hives, does not begin for 48 to 72 hours (it's called a type 4 reaction and involves your t cells but you can look that up if you want).  it usually starts at the site of exposure but can spread any/everywhere on the body.  benedryl/vistiril helps with itching but steroids are needed for true relief! (just remember that if your doctor puts you on less than a 14 day course he/she doesn't know what they are doing regarding this allergic type reaction!). steroid cream and antihistamine creams are also useful but do not use a high potency steroid on your face unless you like a lot of redness and possibly cataracts! in the future there are several products on the market that help prevent the rash by creating a barrier on you skin.   also, be extremely careful when burning wood for a campfire. the worst cases of urushiol exposure i have seen came from the smoke of unwitted burning of poison ivy/oak leaves/branches! the person inhaled some of the stuff and you can imagine how bad off they were...  good luck! i hope this helps!  greg m.d.