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Poison Ivy & Oak
Poison Ivy |
Poison Oak |
The first symptom of poisoning is a severe itching of the skin. Later,
a red inflammation and a blistering of the skin occurs. In severe cases,
oozing sores develop. The rash spreads by the poisonous sap (urushiol),
not as the result of contamination from sores. The blood vessels develop
gaps that leak fluid through the skin, causing blisters and oozing. When
you cool the skin, the vessels constrict and don't leak as much according
to Robert Rietschel, M.D. Chairman of Dermatolgy at New Orleans' Ochsner
Clinic.
Symptoms
Most people develop symptoms 24-48 hours after contact. The interval
varies considerably, because of individual sensitivity and the amount of
sap contacting the skin. Healed areas often remain supersensitive to
further contact for several months.
 The
first symptom of poisoning is a severe itching of the skin. Later, a red
inflammation and a blistering of the skin occurs. In severe cases, oozing
sores develop. The rash spreads by the poisonous sap, not as the result of
contamination from sores. Although extremely irritating, most cases
disappear in a week or 10 days. In the meantime, relief may be found
through the application of medication available in most drugstores.
However, severe rashes, especially those covering large areas or
accompanied by above-normal body temperatures, should be examined by a
physician. Medical treatment is most effective if applied before the
oozing sores appear.
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Treatment
Wash infected skin as soon as possible with cold water to minimize the
severity of the rash and prevent the spread of the sap to uninfected parts of
the body. Unfortunately, your skin absorbs the active compounds in the sap
within the first 3 minutes, and you cannot prevent the dermatitis without
medical treatment. Soap and water are superior to water alone in removing the
sap, but they also temporarily remove a natural protective layer that helps keep
the active compounds from being absorbed through the skin.
Prevention
The most common way to get a rash
from a poisonous plant is to come in contact with the plant oil. Once you have
the rash it cannot be spread to other parts of your body or to another person by
touching the blisters or the fluid. The rash is spread by the plant oil on the
hands, for example, wiping the forehead with the hand.
Learn to recognize and avoid the plant. If you find the plant growing in your
yard, use gloves to pull it up by the roots, and discard the plant carefully,
then discard or wash the gloves. When walking through wooded areas, wear long
pants and long sleeves.
Brushing up against the plant's leaves seldom results in breaking out in a rash
because the plant's oil is not released unless the stem or leaf surface is
broken. However, if you are exposed to the plant oil, wash the affected area
with cold water as soon as possible. Carefully remove all exposed clothing and
wash it. Wash off all camping and sporting gear as well, if there is a chance
that it has been contaminated.
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