Poison Ivy: Leaves of Three, Let Them Be

Summer is the time of the year when we love to venture outside in our flip flops, shorts and sleeveless shirts, exposing our skin to the elements, namely poison ivy.

What makes this plant such a problem is that the entire plant, except for the pollen, is toxic, even during the winter months when the branches and stems are leafless.

Poison ivy is a member of the cashew family and grows as a bush, plant or thick tree climbing vine. The leaves grow three to a stem with some leaves having a jagged, tooth-like appearance and others have smooth edges. The leaves are red in spring and turn to a shiny green in summer and yellow, orange in the fall.

Poison ivy rash is caused by an oil resin produced by the plant call urushiol, which binds with the skin immediately on contact and starts absorbing into the lower levels of the skin. Within 10 minutes an allergic reaction can begin resulting in a rash within 12 to 48 hours. The rash will last anywhere from two to four weeks and sometimes up to eight weeks. The urushiol resin can remain toxic for years drying quickly on clothes, shoes and tools, causing a rash months or years later if it is not washed off immediately.

The rash is red, linear with bumps and vesicle and is extremely itchy, and at times painful. The rash will break out in stages over the first two days. If new areas of rash start appearing on other parts of your body, chances are you are getting exposed to the oil from other sources such as contaminated clothes, tools or even the family pet. Dogs and cats will not get poison ivy but can harbor the oil on their fur and pass it to you.

The blisters which form are the body’s natural allergic reaction to the poison. Never break the blisters because they can become infected. The fluid coming out of the blisters will not spread the rash.

If you come in contact with poison ivy wash immediately with COLD water, not hot, which will open the pores and cause a faster absorption of the resin. Use a strong soap and repeat multiple times. Since the resin is oily, rubbing alcohol applied will help break it down. Tecnu, an over-the-counter product will also help. Shower thoroughly but make sure your hands have been scrubbed clean so you don’t inoculate other parts of your body such as the eyes or genitals with resin.

Treatments include Calamine lotion, cool compresses with Epson salts to alleviate the itching. Benadryl or Atarax will also help relieve the symptoms. For worse cases you may need a shot of steroids followed by a Medrol dose pack from your doctor. The FDA has approved Ivy Block, purchased over-the-counter which, when applied, can act as a protective barrier.

The best way to prevent poison ivy is to avoid it completely.