How do you get poison ivy? From touching it or touching something that has touched it, breathing smoke from firewood or something that has poison ivy in it.
What is it like to get poison ivy? At first you get an itchy spot, which gets worse and worse. It can be a small itchy area that will annoy you, or it can cover your whole body with giant red sores that will drive you drive you nuts.
What do you do if you come in contact with it? Within a hour or so you should rinse with lots of cold water - like a garden hose. Hot water will open your pores and let the oil in. Taking shower could be a disaster. For up to about 6 hours washing with alcohol may still help remove the oil. The next day is too late. Check with your doctor to see if early treatment can prevent the rash before it really starts.
What can you do for the itching? Drugstore remedies may help, but for severe cases you have to see a doctor for a heavy duty remedy.
Is it contagious? Once you have the rash the oil has been absorbed and you probably can't spread it to others or elsewhere on yourself. If you get big blisters filled with liquid it is mostly water and will not spread the rash even if they break.
Source: www.poison-ivy.com