(also referred to as...) Poison Oak, Poison Sumac
Description Poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac grow in forests, backyards, and along roads and have a habit for crawling up against open skin and wrecking general havoc. They all produce similar symptoms and are generally referred to as poison ivy. Some people are more sensitive/allergic to poison ivy (et al) than others. Sensitivity peaks in childhood. However, an allergic reaction can also develop later in life, so those who are presently "immune" may develop a sensitivity in the future.
Symptoms and Signs: Initial symptom of an allergenic reaction is an itching, burning sensation. This is followed by a red-coloured, linear patterned, rash that is extremely itchy. Blisters and oozing follow.
Causes: A poison ivy/oak/sumac reaction is caused by the active ingredient urushiol. This thick, oily substance is present in the resin emitted from the plant's leaves, flowers, fruit, stem, bark, and roots. Once on your skin, the resin binds to skin cells, causes irritation, and produces a rash. Petting a dog or cat that has come into contact with the plant is the second most common means of exposure (the pets themselves are not affected). If the plant is burned and the smoke is inhaled, a serious form of infection can also occur. Urushiol is considered one of the most powerful toxins on earth. It would take only 1/4 oz. to affect every person on the planet. Highly sensitive individuals need only be exposed to one nanogram (one billionth of a gram) of urushiol to receive a rash. An amount covering the head of a pin could cause itching in five hundred people. Indeed, the resin is potent stuff. Itching, swelling, and blisters are caused by your immune system's response to the resin.
What to Expect: If you are allergic to poison ivy resin (and most people are), a rash will develop in all areas of your body that have come in contact with the plant twenty four to forty eight hours after exposure. Intense itching accompanies the rash, as do blisters and oozing caused by blood vessels developing gaps and leaking fluid through the skin. Symptoms peak four to seven days after exposure. The resin should be removed as soon as possible. The longer it stays in contact with your skin, the more intense and widespread your rash will become. Scratching the rash is the easiest way to spread it. If you break out in a rash that begins to swell four to twelve hours after exposure, seek medical attention from your naturopath or other health practitioner. Most people heal within seven to fourteen days.
Remedies It is generally not necessary to seek care from your naturopath or other health practitioner to treat a poison ivy/ oak/ sumac reaction. However, if you experience one or more of the following conditions, seek medical attention: severe itching and swelling that prevents sleep, the rash covers a large area of your body, fluid seeps out of blisters and turns honey-coloured (which may indicate infection), rash occurs on your face, rash occurs near your eyes, or eyes are swollen shut..
First Things First The laundry room should be your first stop after exposure. It is important to remove as much of the sticky resin as possible. If left on your clothes, it can cause a reaction up to one year later. Wash all clothes and gloves in hot, soapy water. In addition, thoroughly wash your shoes. While the clothes are in the wash, step into the shower and give yourself a good rinse. Use warm water and plenty of soap to remove the substance. Try not to spread the resin to other areas while showering. Instead, focus on one location at a time and wash thoroughly. Showering within the first two hours of exposure reduces the chance of developing a rash and may even prevent it. The longer it stays on your skin, the more intense and widespread it will become. If soap is unavailable, use the juice from any plants containing saponins. This includes gotu kola, horse chestnut, licorice, rose leaves, seneca snakeroot, soapbark, and soapwort (the preferred choice).
Conventional Approaches Calamine lotion protects and soothes your skin. Apple three to four times daily. The lotion produces a cooling sensation that distracts from the itching. The cooled skin constricts blood vessels, reducing leaking and subsequent blisters and oozing. Once dried, calamine lotion leaves a powdery residue that absorbs oozing and prevents clothes from sticking to the rash. Calamine usage should stop when the oozing stops. Continued use will make your skin too dry and the itching will become worse.
Aromatherapy The following blend will help relieve skin irritation and itching: 5 drops lavender
3 drops rose
3 drops chamomile
1 drop geranium Combine three drops of this blend with one teaspoon carrier oil (sweet almond or grapeseed oil work well). Apply externally as needed.
Foods The fat and protein content of milk is believed to soothe irritated skin. Dip a sterile cotton gauze or washcloth in whole milk and apply to the rash for twenty minutes. Repeat every two to four hours. Be sure to wash the skin to avoid a sour smell.
Herbs Along with healing burns and other skin problems, aloe vera helps soothe irritated skin. It relieves discomfort, speeds healing, and moisturizes dried skin. Apply a thin layer of aloe gel and reapply every hour until the pain subsides. Use pulp taken from the inside of a fresh plant for the best results. If using a commercial preparation, ensure it is free of alcohol, colourants, mineral oil, and paraffin wax. If fresh jewelweed is available, gather a ball of the pretty orange flowers and crush them in your hands. Rub the juice on infected areas and the rest of your body as a preventative. The active ingredient, lawsone, in jewelweed binds to the same molecular sites on the skin as urushiol. When applied shortly after contact, lawsone binds more quickly than urushiol, and blocks the resin out. Crush the red knobs of the plant and use in the same manner for an even better effect. Nettle is soothing to the skin. Prepare an infusion by adding 1 to 3 teaspoons dried herb to 1 cup hot water. Allow to cool. Dip a sterile cotton gauze in the cool tea and dab on the rash for relief. To enhance its effect, nettle can be combined with jewelweed (Impatience carpensi), yarrow, or other astringent, tannin-rich plants. To control itching, make a poultice made from plantain leaves.
Homeopathy Certain remedies can be used in acute situations if your symptoms fit the symptom picture of the remedy. For dosages, see the dedicated section on Homeopathy. Consult your homeopath or naturopath to determine your constitutional remedy: the remedy that best fits you as a whole person. Your homeopath or naturopath will take a complete case history considering all of your mental and physical ailments and match these symptoms with the symptom picture of the remedy. Rhus Tox.: An excellent remedy for treating rashes caused by contact with Poison Ivy, Poison Oak, or Poison Summac. Rash is red, inflamed, itchy, and covered with small blisters. Person feels restless. Symptoms are made worse with scratching and made better with very hot water.
Lifestyle The best way to deal with poison ivy/oak/sumac is to avoid it in the first place. Learn to identify the plants and teach your kids as well (preventing four-legged pets from bringing it into your home may be a completely separate matter). The plants generally have clusters of three shiny leaves, with one leaf at the end of the stalk and the other two opposite each other. Poison ivy has a reddish tint and grows both like a vine and close to the ground. It can be two to seven feet high. Poison oak is a shrub with lobed leaves, like an oak tree, grown in threes. Poison sumac also grows as a shrub or small tree. It has many leaflets growing on both sides of a stem. Leaflets range from seven to thirteen and are always an odd number. If you find poison ivy/oak/sumac growing in your garden/ backyard/ local bush, the best way to deal with the problem is to physically remove the plant. Using thick gardening or working gloves, carefully uproot the plant with a shovel. Ensure you take the surrounding soil with you and that all roots have been removed. Dispose of the plant in a tightly sealed bag. You are advised to discard your gloves in the same manner (hope they weren't sentimental). NOTE: Do not burn these plants as the urushiol becomes air-borne in a fire and you could inhale droplets of the oil, resulting in serious lung infection, fever, and a complete body rash. When hiking, wear long socks and/or pants. If you accidentally come into contact with poison ivy, only your clothes will be affected and spreading of the resin can be controlled.
Miscellaneous For persistent itching, hold an ice cube against your skin for several minutes or run ice water over the rash. The coolness will help reduce itching. An oatmeal bath is very soothing to the skin. Add 1 1/2oz./45g ground oatmeal to a tub of lukewarm water. Soak for fifteen minutes. Use a cup to pour water over any part of the body that is not submerged in the bath. Pat dry.
Actions and Remedy Listings
Aloe Vera | Aromatherapy Blend | Avoid Poison Ivy/Oak/Summac Plants | Calamine Lotion (Conventional) | Complete Plant Removal | Gotu Kola | Horse Chestnut | Ice | Jewelweed | Licorice | Milk | Nettle | Oatmeal Bath | Plantain Leaves | Rhus Tox. | Rose Leaves | Seneca Snakeroot | Soapbark | Soapwort | Wash Clothes and Shoes | Wash Self | Wear Long Socks and Pants | | |
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