A poison ivy rash occurs when the plant toxin, urushiol (u-ROO-she-ol), comes into contact with your skin. This toxin causes swelling, blisters, pain and excessive itching. Due to the severity of the reaction from this plant, many people form untrue beliefs about poison ivy. Here's what you need to know!
Here's some info on what Poison Ivy looks like, as well as it's cousins Poison Oak and Poison Sumac.
Poison Ivy:
Poison ivy grows as a ground cover, a low shrub or as a vine that scrambles up trees. This is the most common of the Toxicodendron family in the Northeast where we camp.
The leaves start out solid green, in clusters of three per stem.
They can be dull or glossy, and have pointed tips.
Thin, aerial roots on the vines give them a fuzzy, or hairy, appearance - see below.
Poison Ivy vines:
Always, always, always check your firewood for vines!
See below, where poison ivy vines have grown on cut firewood. Handling this firewood, and worse, burning it, are great ways to get a rash in the winter. Breathing the smoke is very dangerous, and can create havoc when the smoke gets into your respiratory tract.
The giant 6-inch vine below, cut off in March, is oozing a great deal of sap from inside the outer bark. This sap is where the oil is that causes the rash. You can run afoul of the sap all year long. A reminder to wash your tools, since touching your saw blade, axe or hatchet after chopping a vine would also pass along the urushiol.
Poison Oak:
Poison oak closely resembles poison ivy, although it is usually more shrub-like, and its leaves are shaped somewhat like oak leaves (hence the name, poison oak), but it’s not a member of the oak family.
Leaflets are duller green than poison ivy and usually more distinctly lobed or toothed.
Leaflets have hairs on both sides, unlike poison ivy.
Poison Sumac:
Poison Sumac typically has seven to 13 leaflets arranged in pairs.
The leaves sometimes have black or dark brown spots that are filled with urushiol.
In autumn, the leaves turn red, yellow and pinkish.
Poison sumac typically grows into a woody shrub with glossy cream or pale yellow berries.
Here are 10 common myths about poison ivy that you need to stop believing:
Myth #1 – “A poison ivy rash is contagious.”
Fact: People develop a rash when coming into contact with poison ivy because it is a reaction to urushiol found in poison ivy, oak and sumac. The rash itself cannot pass from person to person; however, the urushiol can be spread by contact.
Myth #2 – “Scratching poison ivy blisters will spread the rash.”
Fact: As mentioned in the first myth, the rash you obtain is caused and spread by the urushiol found in poison ivy, oak and sumac. If you have the oil on your hands and scratch your nose, shoulders or forehead, then there is a good chance the rash will spread. The fluid in the blisters does not cause the rash to spread. However, you should worry about possible infection and scarring from breaking your poison ivy blisters. If possible, try to avoid excessive scratching and be sure to keep your hands and fingernails clean. Contact your doctor if you notice that there is excessive fluid buildup in your blisters.
Myth #3 – “Leaves of three, let it be.”
Fact: Many people believe this phrase can correctly identify poison ivy. This is partially true when it comes to ivy; however, this is not the case for poison oak and poison sumac. Poison ivy has 3 leaves per cluster. Meanwhile, poison oak usually has between 3 to 5 leaves, and poison sumac has between 7 to 13 leaves on a branch.
Myth #4 – “Only the leaves are poisonous.”
Fact: Reports show that people contract rashes during summer when poison ivy leaves are present and bountiful. However, there have also been cases when people contract poison ivy rashes in autumn or winter. This occurs because every part of the plant contains urushiol oil including the leaves, roots, flowers, stems, vines and berries.
Myth #5 – “Dead plants are no longer toxic.”
Fact: Not true! Even if the plant is dead, you should still avoid it. Urushiol oil can stay active on surfaces, including dead plants, for up to five years or longer.
Myth #6 – “I’ve never gotten a rash. I must be immune to poison ivy.”
Fact: Some people do not develop an allergic reaction when they are exposed to poison ivy. This does not necessarily mean they have an immunity because there have been cases where people don’t experience their first reaction until they have been exposed multiple times. Also keep in mind that a person’s sensitivity to urushiol can change over time or even from season to season. People who were not sensitive as children can develop a hypersensitivity to poison ivy as an adult and vice versa.
Myth #7 – “Chewing poison ivy leaves will boost your immunity”
Fact: DO NOT CHEW ON POISON IVY LEAVES! This is completely untrue and dangerous. Doing so may cause a rash in your throat or spread to your lungs, which can result in trouble breathing. If this is the case, call your doctor immediately or go to the hospital.
Myth #8 – “I’m only allergic to poison oak and not poison ivy or sumac.”
Fact: Some people believe they are only sensitive to one plant. But poison ivy, oak and sumac are all members of the Toxicondendron genus of plants. All three of these plants produce the exact same urushiol that causes rashes.
Myth #9 – “You have to touch the plant to get a rash.”
Fact: A common way to obtain rash from poison ivy is by touching the urushiol oil found on the plant. However, you do not have to directly touch the plant to come in contact with the urushiol. If you come in contact with items such as gardening tools or even clothes, you may contract the rash. If you believe any of your belongings came into contact with urushiol, be sure to wash them with soap and water.
Myth #10 – “You can get a rash by simply being near the plant.”
Fact: As stated in the previous myth, you develop a rash when you come in direct contact with urushiol. So simply being near the plant will not cause an allergic reaction. Keep in mind, however, that the oil can become airborne from forest fires, lawnmowers or weed whackers.
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