| According to the American Academy of | | | | natural home remedies. See below.Severe |
| Dermatology, each year 10 to 50 million Americans | | | | Symptoms* Swelling of the throat, tongue, or lips |
| develop an allergic rash after contact with Poison | | | | * Difficulty breathing or swallowing |
| Oak, Poison Ivy and Poison Sumac Plants. The | | | | * Weakness or dizziness |
| invisible oily resin called urushiol causes the ill effects | | | | * Bluish lips and/or mouth |
| of these poisonous plants.Poison ivy, oak, or sumac is | | | | * Unconsciousness |
| found in every state except Alaska and Hawaii. | | | | * Severe Symptoms need immediate emergency |
| These plants are important to the eco-systems | | | | medical care.CautionNEVER burn poison ivy. Burning |
| where they thrive. The small, white or bluish berries | | | | these poisonous plants puts the urushiol resin in the |
| found on the ivies feed a number of birds and small | | | | air and can get in your lungs and possibly your |
| animals. The irritants found in urushiol oil do not effect | | | | neighbor's lungs. If you get poison ivy in your lungs, |
| most animals and the tangles from the plants serve | | | | you will need to go to the hospital.Pet AlertThe only |
| as shelter.This oily resin can stay on pets, shoes, | | | | threat to resin on our pets is if it is rubbed off onto |
| hiking boots, clothes, toys, garden tools, lawn | | | | other things or people. If your pet merely has the |
| mowers and anything else that has made contact. In | | | | bumps and is itching, you can not catch it from |
| fact, the oil stays active on any surface, including | | | | them.TreatmentBecause urushiol is a oily resin and |
| dead plants, for up to 5 years.SymptomsAfter | | | | not a water based fluid, it will not evaporate and it |
| making contact, the reaction (called dermatitis) may | | | | can linger for several years.Use mild soap and cold or |
| include a rash followed by bumps and blisters that | | | | cool water to wash off the resin. Do not use hot |
| itch. Scratching does not spread the outbreak but | | | | water because it opens your skin pores and thus |
| may cause infection because it allows bacteria from | | | | absorb more of the oil.You may want to apply |
| dirt on the hands to enter the skin. Symptoms can | | | | rubbing alcohol to the affected area(s) with cotton |
| last ten days to several weeks to heal.Mild | | | | balls, and then rinse again with cold water. You can |
| Symptoms* Severe redness | | | | apply calamine lotion, a zinc oxide ointment, or baking |
| * Signs of infection, such as pus | | | | soda paste (3-tsp. soda to 1-tsp. water) to the |
| * Rash in mouth, eyes, or genital area | | | | affected area(s), or soak in an oatmeal bath, to |
| * Rash on a large portion of your body or face | | | | relieve the symptoms somewhat. |
| * Mild symptoms can be treated with simple and | | | | |