- Knowledgebase: Information on Specific Illnesses
- Here you will find discussions of specific illnesses and their management.
- 28. Poison ivy - Top
- I receive a good number of questions about poison oak/ivy and will dedicate this month's column to try to cover this issue.
Poison Oak/Ivy and Sumac are all part of the Rhus plant family and all the parts of their plants (stem, leaves, berries) produce urushiol oil. This oil is what causes the reaction that people have to these plants. This oil will bond with skin in a matter of minutes but the body's reaction may not start for hours, even up to 24 - 36 hours later. This reaction is generally characterized by very itchy red rash with blisters both small and large which ooze fluid. Many times the rash will be in streaks corresponding to the plant rubbing against the skin. The rash will appear anywhere the oil has contacted the skin. It is common in little boys to be in their groin area because they get the oil on their hands and go to the bathroom without washing the oil off their hands.
The rash for all three plants is the same because it in caused by the same urushiol oil. If the oil is atomized (by weedeaters, lawnmowesr, chain saws or burning in smoke), the rash in more generalized and usually has smaller blisters.
Avoidance is the best treatment, but this is not always easy. When your child is going to be in an area where these plants may exist - try to cover all potential exposure area. soap and water washing of an exposed area within a few minutes can eliminate or reduce the oil. If it has been longer, alcohol which is a solvent, will break the oil's bond with the skin up to 4 hours after exposure and then the alcohol should be washed off with water.
Treatment consists of trying to keep the itching to a minimum by using calamine lotion and using oatmeal bathes. Topical Benzocaine should not be used because it can cause allergic reactions. Oral antihistamines (Benadryl) can be taken to relieve itching, but they may cause sleepiness. Steroid creams can be helpful to relieve the reaction and severe cases may require a course of oral steroids. If the rash causes swelling or significant discomfort, your doctor should be contacted.
Many people present with Rhus plant rash who deny any chance of contact. This is usually related to contact with things that have the oil on them. Shoes and shoestrings worn in the woods and not washed; gardening tools or sports equipment that may have the oil on them; also pets may walk through the woods and get the oil on their fur and then come in contact with their owners and transmit the oil. The oil can last on inanimate objects for months if they are not cleaned, so shoes, shoelaces and garden tools should be washed after potential contact with Rhus plants.
I am commonly asked if the fluid in the blisters can spread the reaction within a person or to others. The fluid in these blisters is body fluid and can NOT spread the rash or give it to others. The only way a person can spread the reaction is by spreading the oil on themselves or another person. Also people ask about the rash being on the eyeball. The oil bonds with the skin and is washed away by the constant fluid over the eye. I have never seen the eyeball involved. I did see one case where the inside of the mouth was involved after a young man chewed the plant on a dare.
- Updated: March 23, 2001
-
[e-Mail me the Knowledgebase]- [Search
our Knowledgebase] - [Question Not Answered?]
|
