It must be gardening time. The community may be beautified, but it's come at the expense of those who live in it. Not only has there been an increase in suffering from allergies, but poison ivy, sumac, and oak has spread as well.
With a long season of outdoor fun and work ahead, we thought it would be helpful to share some information from WebMD regarding the irritating plants you may encounter.
- Poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac are plants containing the oil urushiol. Contact with this oil can cause an allergic reaction resulting in a skin rash.
- Indirect contact with the oil, such as clothing, pet fur, sporting gear, gardening tools, etc that have come in contact with the oil, can also cause the reaction.
- The usual symptoms of the rash are itchy skin, red streaks or general redness where the plant touched the skin; small bumps or hives; blisters filled with fluid which may leak.
- Surprisingly, the rash is NOT contagious because once it appears the urushiol will have been absorbed or washed off. The rash can take from 5 hours to 15 days to appear after having contact with the plant.
- Most rashes can be treated at home by washing the area with water immediately after contact with the plant. Wet compresses and cool baths can help to relieve the symptoms along with antihistamines and calamine lotion. Prescription corticosteroid pills, creams, ointments, or shots may be needed for moderate to severe cases.
Your best best is to prevent the rash in the first place! Learn how to identify the plants and steer clear. If you can not avoid being near the plants, wear long pants, long sleeves, vinyl gloves, and use barrier creams or lotions.
