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It's about that time of year again when people like to spend more time outside hiking, playing sports, or gardening. But it's important to also remember that poison ivy can be a big pest while enjoying the warmer weather. Here are some facts about poison ivy and ways to treat exposure.
What is poison ivy?
Poison ivy is a plant that many of us have come into contact with. It is particularly common around lakes, swamps, and rivers. However, it will grow perfectly well in numerous other habitats, such as along roadsides and trails, in open areas of grown up foliage, in thickets, and in open woods. The chemical in poison ivy responsible for its effects is called urushiol. Urushiol itself is not poisonous. However, urushiol left on the skin more than five minutes will begin to be absorbed and metabolized by the body's immune system. The immune system identifies the urushiol as foreign and begins to get rid of it. This is what causes the red rash and itching associated with poison ivy exposure. The skin rash usually appears 12-48 hours after contact with poison ivy.
Things to look for that are a result of contact with poison ivy are:
Itching
Redness
Burning feeling
Swelling
Blisters
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Facts about poison ivy:
Rubbing the rashes won't spread poison ivy to other parts of your body or to another person. The rash is spread only if urushiol has been left on your hands or clothes.
Direct contact is needed to release the urushiol oil from the plants. Simply standing next to a poison ivy plant will not release the oil. However, stay away from direct burning or destruction of the plant, such as lawn mowing, in that it may cause the oil to become airborne.
Urushiol oil stays active on any surface, including dead poison ivy plants, for up to 5 years. This includes clothes, tools, balls, and animals (most animals are not sensitive to urushiol, but they can carry and spread the oil on their coat).
Breaking the blisters associated with poison ivy exposure will not spresad the rash because the urushiol oil is not inside the blisters. However, your broken blisters may become infected or make scarring worse.
Treatment:
The best treatment for getting "poison ivy" is prevention. You need to avoid getting the urushiol oil on your skin to prevent the rash from developing. If you can't avoid poison ivy, wear protective clothing.
If you've been exposed, perform these steps in this order:
Cleanse exposed skin with generous amounts of rubbing alcohol. NOTE: alcohol removes your skin's natural protection as well as the urushiol oil and any new contact will cause the urushiol to penetrate your skin faster
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