Latest news reports say that poison ivy plants are becoming more prevalent and that some people are more sensitive to it. However, Dr. David Adams, a dermatologist at Penn State Hershey, begs to disagree. Based from his long-time experience in hunting, fishing and hiking, he thinks more people are going outside; hence, more exposures are reported. He adds that he has not noticed remarkable shifts in the location and occurrence of poison ivy, as well as the sizes of the leaves that contain it.
Poison ivy is actually called urushiol, which settles inside the leaves, roots and stems of leaves. With this, Adams said people will only acquire poison ivy if the parts of the plants are actually broken down and subjected to physical contact with people. According to statistics, three quarters of individuals exposed to urushiol oil may develop an itchy red rash and one quarter will not exhibit any reaction at all.
Prevention of poison ivy irritation involves two methods, as recommended by the American Academy of Dermatology. The first step is to avoid the poisonous plant and its parts, and the second is to safeguard the skin.
To avoid contact with the poisonous plants, individuals must know the physical characteristics of the poison ivy, poison oak and poison sumac. Poison ivy leaves have three small leaflets. Yellow-green flowers grow from these plants during the spring and green berries that transform into the color off-white sprout come early fall. Poison oaks have fairly similar characteristics and it can grow in the Western US as a vine. Each leaf of the poison sumac contains a row of paired leaflets and has leaflet toward the end of the leaf. It may grow as a tall shrub or small tree and in the Northeast and Midwest regions, it can settle in standing waters. Small black spots on the surface of the leaves are the distinct characteristic of a poison sumac. These seemingly black paint splashes are actually the urushiol oil and it becomes brownish black and clear/ pale yellow when exposed to the air and before it hits the air.
Safeguarding the skin is the second part of poison ivy prevention. When going to a place with poison ivy-containing plants becomes inevitable, individuals may apply over-the-counter ivy block barriers that work by absorbing the urushiol oil that causes the irritation. Experts also recommend wearing protective clothing such as long sleeves, long pants, gloves and boots atop the ivy block barriers to protect the skin from any exposure. Urushiol oil may be transferred to inanimate objects that touch it including gardening tools, sports equipment and other animals' fur. The entire plant may contain the poison and burning it may subject the air to poison ivy exposure, enabling airborne transmission to be possible.
Dermatologists recommend numerous treatment measures to counteract the effects of poison ivy allergic reactions. When individuals become exposed, they are advised to wash and rinse the skin with lukewarm soapy water as this may wash off the poison and help halt its spread. Not only should the skin be washed but the clothes and other inanimate objects as well as this may cause further irritation.
Individuals are dissuaded to scratch the area of irritation and to touch blisters because infection and complications may occur. Symptomatic treatment for itchiness includes taking lukewarm baths in a colloidal oatmeal formula, sold in drug stores. A cup of baking soda mixed into the bath may also help. Cool compress may be applied to the itchy parts of the skin to sooth the area. Pharmacological treatment includes topical application of calamine lotion for itchiness or hydrocortisone cream for mild cases and administration of antihistamine pills with caution. If the rash fails to improve after seven-10 days, it is best to consult a dermatologist for professional treatment.
Photo: Annie Roonie | Flickr
