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