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I had successfully avoided encounters with poison ivy for many years. This was due, in part, from having lived far from New England and the east coast for much of that time. I had the impression that it would be a mildly bothersome thing to get, but tolerable. I was mistaken.
Poison ivy is amazingly uncomfortable and even dangerous. My own encounter was relatively minor, but difficult nevertheless. During a typical lunch stop during a paddle, I wandered into some foliage and noticed that it touched my legs below my shortie wetsuit. Hmmm, that plant has three leaves. ........I wonder...... Oh, well...
Well, three days later the effects began. First, itching, of course. Then, more itching. The spots grew larger with each day, blistering, oozing fluid, turning red like a burn. The culmination was fully 12 days after contact (while on vacation, of course!) It has now been four weeks since I touched those leaves ever so lightly, and my knees still itch sometimes. The scabs are mostly gone in appearance, though the surface is rough.
Poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac all have within their sap a pale yellow oil called urushiol. If you contact this oil either from touching the plant, or from touching something else which has the oil upon it, you will likely develop a rash. The oil penetrates the skin within minutes, especially where skin is thin and sensitive. The rash does not spread, though it may seem to. The rash breaks out more slowly where contact was less intense and where skin is tougher. You might also rub the oil around the initial contact area by rubbing with your hands or clothing. Transference from the initial contact area is a danger, particularly if you rub with your hands and then rub your eyes or other sensitive areas.
Treatment options seem limited. If you know you touched it, you should wash with soap and water several times to remove the oil, while being careful not to spread the oil about. The reaction is an allergic one, and so anti–histamines, such as Benadryl, help. Calamine lotion, Epsom salts, and hydrocortisone creams are typical treatments.
The best option is to avoid the plant by learning to recognize it before contact. Remember, that it has oil on it spring, summer, and fall.
An article originally published by David Lay, 2003
