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What is poison ivy?
For the purpose of this article, we will combine poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac and generically call them poison ivy. All are plants native and common in the southern US containing a "poison" which is actually a chemical substance known as oleoresin. Contact with the chemical causes the development of a severe, itchy, red, bumpy, blistery rash. Generally called contact dermatitis, the specific name is Rhus contact dermatitis from the scientific name of the plant which is Rhus toxicodendron.
Just how harmful is it?
Poison ivy doesn't really "poison" anybody, nor is it deadly or fatal. However, if you ever had it, you already know what a nuisance it is and that it does cause the irritating rash and symptoms noted above.
How do I get poison ivy?
Any contact with the plant or with the chemical, whether from the leaves, vines, bark, stem, or roots, and especially when crushed, may cause the rash to break out.
What are the symptoms?
You may develop an itching sensation within hours, but the rash usually starts within 48-72 hours after exposure to the plant. The rash can move from one area of the body to another even if you only touched the plant with your hands. It may initially appear as a red spot but usually advances to a weepy, blister-type rash in various patches or blotches on your body. It can be especially irritating around your eyes, nose, mouth, and genital areas.
How can I treat it?
For relief of smaller patches, apply cool compresses to the worst parts of the rash. Use benadryl for the itching. For more severe cases, wide spread cases, or cases involving the face or genitals, contact our office to see if a steroid or cortisone shot or a steroid dose pack would be appropriate for you. There is no "immediate" relief as it takes 10-14 days of treatment to keep it from coming back.
How can I avoid it?
Don't touch, DON'T touch, DON'T TOUCH! Avoid all contact with the plant.
Poison ivy is like a weed, it grows everywhere. From city light poles, to trees in your yard, to home flower gardens, from lightly wooded to densely wooded areas, poison ivy seems to be everywhere. Take heed to your childhood rhyme of "Leaves of three, let them be."
Poison ivy is typically a vine, either along the ground or growing up a tree or wall. It can also appear as a small shrub. If you find some around your house, use an herbicide such as RoundUp to kill the plant, but use gloves to pull it up or dispose of it. Wearing long sleeves and long pants is also advisable when working around poison ivy or hiking in the woods.
But someone told me...
...they are not allergic to poison ivy.
There may be a very small minority of people who are not affected by poison ivy. However, the safest approach is to presume that you ARE or COULD BE allergic (because you probably are!)
...scratching the blister exposes the fluid and transmits the rash to the next areas I scratch.
The fluid from the blister is your body's way of responding to the poison but is not the poison itself. Poison ivy does not spread in this manner.
...the plant is dead or dried so you can't get poison ivy.
Not good advise! Unfortunately, the chemical substance is not destroyed when the plant dies. Always use gloves when handling poison ivy or items with poison ivy on them (even dried firewood with ivy in the bark.)
...there is a poison ivy extract shot that will protect me from the rash.
Wrong again. There is a shot, but it can actually cause poison ivy and in recent scientific studies, those patients who were vaccinated had the same rates of outbreak as those who were not!
SAMA - The Right Choice in HealthCare
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