What is poison ivy? What is a poison ivy rash?

Date: Aug-30-2013Poison ivy is a plant well known for causing severe inflammation of the skin, also known as contact dermatitis. The plant contains a sap which causes instant irritation if it comes in contact with the skin.

Poison ivy is native to North America, where it mainly grows in clusters on the edges of woodland - where there is sufficient sunlight for it to grow.

The plant is characterized by clusters of three leaflets, which can range from light green to dark green, each growing on its own stem, connected to a main vine (without any thorns). "Leaflets three; let it be" and "Hairy vine, no friend of mine." are two common mnemonic rhymes to describe the appearance of poison ivy.

Poison ivy sap is found in nearly every part of the plant, including the leaves, stems, and roots. The sap contains an oil called urushiol - if any of this extremely sticky oil comes in contact with the skin it can cause a blistering skin rash.

You can develop a reaction to urushiol from direct contact, touching contaminated objects (such as shoes after walking), and even breathing in smoke from burning poison ivy - which can severely harm the lungs.

Be sure to remember what poison ivy
looks like so that you can avoid it.

More than half of all the people who come into contact with these plants develop an itchy rash. It is thought to affect more than 300,000 Americans every year.

The most dangerous type of exposure occurs when the plant is burned and the smoke is inhaled, affecting the lungs.
Signs and symptoms of a poison ivy rash

A rash can appear within just hours or days after contact with the plant.

Signs of a reaction to poison ivy, include:

Itching
Red skin
Swelling
Hives
Blisters
Crusting skin

The American Academy of Family Physicians recommends washing the irritated area with soap and water to get rid of any remaining oil on the skin, and the rash should start to go within a week or two.

A poison ivy rash typically causes red skin
covered in blisters.

Some effective ways of alleviating the symptoms of the rash include:

Applying corticosteroid cream and calamine lotion to the affected area
Soaking the skin in cool water
Applying a wet compress every couple of hours for more than 10 minutes
Taking oral antihistamines

If you begin to develop a fever, or if the rash persists for more than two weeks and begins to spread over more parts of the body, it is important to seek medical attention.
Who's at risk?

People who are at the highest risk of a poison ivy reaction are those who are exposed to the plants. This includes people who engage in a lot of outdoor hobbies or whose job requires them to work outdoors, such as:

Foresters
Gardeners
Construction workers
Farmers
Landscapers

How to prevent poison ivy rashes

Learn to identify the plant - make sure you know what poison ivy looks like, this will help you avoid the plants when you go outdoors to areas where you'd be highly exposed.
Clean your clothing  - if you think you might have stepped on some poison ivy after going for a walk in the woods or an outdoor area, immediately clean all your clothing (including shoes) to avoid any urushiol contacting your skin.
Wash your skin  - if you've come in contact with poison ivy immediately rinse your skin with water, use soap, and then rinse thoroughly.
Use a skin cream containing bentoquatam  - before going outdoors to an area with poison ivy you can always apply an over-the-counter barrier cream containing bentoquatam. Bentoquatum is able to prevent urishiol from affecting the skin.

Written by Joseph Nordqvist

Copyright: Medical News Today

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Courtesy: Medical News Today Note: Any medical information available in this news section is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a health care professional.