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Do NOT burn these poisonous plants! The
smoke will irritate your skin badly, and if it enters your nasal
passages, throat and lungs it will likely cause serious problems and
could result in death.
Make SURE you do NOT use sticks from
these plants as skewers to cook hot dogs or marshmallows! You
will suffer a horrible death if you do.
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 Overview
The leaves of Poison Ivy,
Poison Oak and Poison Sumac contain urushiol, an irritating oil that
causes severe itching and blistering on contact. Poison Sumac causes an
immediate reaction, but it may be many hours before a victim notices the effects
of Poison Ivy and Oak.
Contrary to common belief, Poison Ivy or Oak
is not contagious through contact with the blisters of a person who has broken
out in a rash, since the blisters contain only body fluids. However, if an
infected person still has the oil on their skin or clothing, it may be
transferred thereby affecting others.
Many people say they're "not allergic" to
these plants. About 20% of the population has little or no reaction after
contact. However, one's immunity can change over time. It is best to
just avoid these plants because though you may not be susceptible, you could
transfer the oils to others who are.
Note that these plants
may exhibit a strikingly beautiful array of colors in the fall.
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Print this chart and tape it to your
field clipboard. |
Poison Ivy
A climbing vine with three
serrated-edge, pointed leaves that grows in the East, Midwest and South.
In
the northern and western states, poison ivy grows as a non-climbing
shrub.
"Leaves of three... let
them be."
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Poison Oak
Poison oak also has three
leaves. It grows in the sandy soil of the Southeast as a small
shrub.
In
the western United States poison oak is a very large plant which grows
as a standing shrub or climbing vine.
"Leaves of three... let
them be."
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Poison Sumac
A shrub or bush with two
rows of 7 - 13 leaflets; most common in the peat bogs of the Northern
United States and in swampy Southern regions of the country.
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Preventing Encounters with These Plants
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Know
what these common plants look like and avoid them.
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Wear
long pants and socks in areas where these plants may be present.
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Don't
touch anything that has come in contact with the oil of these plants, including
clothing, work gloves, pets, etc. There may be oil still present
that can affect you.
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These
plants can still affect you even when they're dead.
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The rash can affect any part of the body. Commonly
affected areas are the hands, forearms and face. The oil begins to
penetrate within minutes of touching the skin. Within 12 - 48 hours,
a rash appears as a line. Redness and swelling are
followed by blisters and severe itching; within a few days the blisters become
crusted, puss-filled and scaly. The rash will heal in about ten days.
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Zanfel Laboratories claims that its
product,
Zanfel™, is a "safe and effective topical solution for (treating)
poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac" and will stop the pain and itch in
30 seconds regardless of how long ago exposure took place.
For other treatments, it is extremely
important to remove the irritating oil from the skin before it is absorbed,
which happens very quickly. Scrub the area as soon as possible with
alcohol or soap and water. Fels-Naptha
laundry bar soap seems to work the best and is available in most grocery
stores in the
laundry section. Some cleansers' active ingredients can be harsh
to the skin, so use caution.
Your doctor may advise you to seek relief with 10% hydrocortisone cream or an antihistamine
such as Benadryl.
Ibuprophen may help with pain and
swelling.
Calamine lotion or alkaline lotions such as Milk of
Magnesia may help, but limit application to the affected area so you
don't spread the oils around.
Seek medical help if the
reaction is severe or if scratching has resulted in a secondary infection. |
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