Avoiding Poison Ivy, Other Plants

Each year, tens of millions of Americans who spend time in the great outdoors find themselves with an unpleasant, itchy souvenir of their day out. Exposure to poison ivy, poison oak and poison sumac often triggers an allergic reaction that causes skin to turn red, blister or swell. To make matters worse, the irritated skin can be intensely itchy.

About 85 percent of people are vulnerable to this type of skin reaction, according to the American Academy of Dermatology. A colorless, odorless resin from plant sap known as urushiol is responsible for the symptoms, which usually last from a week to 10 days.

How can you avoid this maddening summer itch? Try these tips:

Identifying the Enemy

The key to avoiding contact with urushiol is to know which troublesome plants are common to your region. Plants containing urushiol are common throughout all states accept Alaska and Hawaii. Different plants occur more frequently in specific parts of the country.

It is important to be able to identify the characteristics common to each plant. Urushiol is found in several plants, including the skin of mangoes and the nut shell of cashew fruits. However, the three plants most often responsible for that maddening itch are:

Poison ivy. Leaves are usually arranged in groups of three, but also appear in fives or sevens. In each cluster the middle leaf grows on a long stalk and the leaves are usually fairly equal in size. Leaf edges are slightly notched or smooth. The leaves are shiny and green when young and bright red in the fall. The flowers are small with a yellow-greenish white color. In the United States, poison ivy tends to grow in disturbed areas and wet areas in the Midwest and the East Coast. It is not normally found on the West Coast.
Poison oak. The leaves are larger than poison ivy and grow in groups of three, five or seven. It has fruit and flowers that appear similar to poison ivy, but the leaves have short, smooth hairs on the underside. Poison oak grows as a low shrub in the eastern United States in areas of sandy soil and pine forests. In the West, it grows in tall clumps or as long vines in low areas and wooded thickets.
Poison sumac. Features clusters of seven to 13 leaves arranged in pairs with one leaf at the end. The small yellowish flowers mature into whitish-green berries that hang in clusters up to 12 inches (30 centimeters) long. Poison sumac tends to grow around wet areas such as bogs in the Southeast, but it is most common in the Great Lakes area and the East Coast. It may also grow as a tall but spindly shrub.

Preventing Exposure

Poison ivy, poison oak and poison sumac are fragile plants with easily broken stems and leaves. Undamaged plants are unlikely to trigger a rash, but undamaged plants rarely occur in nature. Taking precautions can reduce the chance that you'll experience a reaction to the plants. These include:

Know the characteristics of these plants. To prevent exposure, try to be aware of the plants that grow naturally in your region and where they are found. One longstanding rule of thumb is to be wary of all plants with three leaves. However, not all three-leaved plants are toxic and some plants that cause allergic reactions have more than three leaves.
Cover areas of thin skin. Symptoms often do not develop in thick skin or hairy areas. Most rashes occur in areas of thinner skin, such as the wrist, ankles and face. Wearing gloves, long pants, socks and closed-toed shoes can help prevent these areas from being exposed to poison plants. Clean exposed skin by showering after spending time in areas where you may have been exposed, such as the woods.
Wash exposed skin. Urushiol can begin to penetrate the skin within minutes of exposure. Washing skin as soon as possible can help minimize symptoms. Use soap and cold water and gently wash for about five minutes. Do not use alcohol as it tends to spread the urushiol to a wider area.
Keep skin, clothing and other items clean. Urushiol is sticky and can stay on clothes and tools for years. Wash potentially contaminated clothing with detergent in warm water as soon as possible. Remember that setting unwashed clothing on furniture or carpeting can lead to urushiol spreading. Scrub shoes and other objects (such as tools or golf clubs) that may have come into contact with poisonous plants. Also, wash your pets if they may have been exposed to urushiol. Use rubber gloves and wear long sleeves during the bathing process.
Remain on cleared pathways. When spending time outdoors, remain on marked trails and other pathways. This is especially important in wooded or overgrown areas.
Do not burn plants with urushiol. Burning plants that contain urushiol can cause severe allergic reactions if the particles are inhaled. Soot from burning plants can also affect the eyes, nose or throat.
Use protective barriers. Creams that coat your skin with a protective barrier against the allergens found in these plants are available from many pharmacies and camping stores.
Carefully eliminate plants with urushiol. If these plants are around your house, remove them and their roots. Be sure to wear protective clothing while doing this. Place the whole plants in a heavy, tightly sealed bag before disposing of them. Animals such as cows and goats can safely eat these plants. If you have large property several years of grazing can eliminate these troublesome plants.

Treating Outbreaks

Despite your best efforts at prevention, you may still end up coming into contact with these plants. Fortunately, the skin irritation caused by these plants is not serious and will fade on its own. However, there are steps you can take to minimize symptoms. They include:

Wash the skin in water for five minutes with soap and water immediately after contact with these plants.
Wash anything that comes into contact with these plants, including clothing, objects such as tools, and even pets.
Use lotions or cool oatmeal baths to soothe your skin. These include several over-the-counter treatments (including calamine lotion) that are available at pharmacies. Cool compresses and a mixture of cool water and baking soda also can help relieve symptoms.

Particularly nasty outbreaks may require a physician's attention. Prescription or over-the-counter medications such as corticosteroid creams or antihistamines may be suggested to relive symptoms.

It's important not to scratch exposed areas. You'll get temporary relief from your itchiness, but it can break the skin and cause an infection. Antibiotics may be necessary to treat such infection. In addition, urushiol located underneath your fingernails can trigger allergic reactions on previously unexposed body parts during scratching.