Look but Don’t Touch: It Climbs, It Creeps, It Itches, It Seeps: Identifying Poison Ivy

By Jason Ashley Wright, Tulsa World, Okla.

Jul. 28–Leaves of three, let it be.

That’s the little rhyme local gardening experts and physicians would have you remember this summer.

It refers to poison ivy, which sends between 25 and 40 million Americans to the doctor annually, said Dr. Dana Davis, medical director of Warren Clinic-Urgent Care.

Although poison ivy can be found year-round, it’s particularly persnickety this time of year, said Davis, who saw 12 cases in just one recent day at the clinic.

People get poison ivy by touching the plant or coming in contact with something that did, according to facts from Poison-Ivy.org. The reason why is an oil the plant secretes called urushiol, which can irritate the skin and cause rashes and lesions. It can be found in the leaves, roots and vines.

So if you want to avoid this discomfort, know your enemy.

Most of the time, poison ivy has three leaves on each stem with a pink or off-red petiole running from leaf to stem, said Brian Jervis, a Tulsa County horticulturist. It can grow low on the ground or creep up telephone poles, the back of your house and fence posts.

Once you’ve identified poison ivy, avoid it. However,

if your skin comes in contact with the poison ivy oils, you’ll usually notice a rash within 24 hours, Davis said. Symptoms include an intensely itchy red rash which might develop into fluid-filled blisters. Most of the time, these form in a linear, streak-like pattern.

As soon as you come across poison ivy, wash with soap and water, Davis said. If a mild rash develops, try an over-the-counter product like Aveeno Skin Relief Bath Treatment, which you can find in area drug and grocery stores for less than $10. Benadryl and cool, wet compresses may also alleviate discomfort.

Most people call their physicians once a rash develops because of the discomfort, Davis said. From there, a steroid might be prescribed, and it may take 48 to 72 hours to work.

One misconception with poison ivy is that if a lesion breaks and oozes, it can spread the poison ivy rash, Davis said; this isn’t true.

But keep in mind that the irritating oil can last for months on gloves, shoes and clothing, she said. Wash these before touching them again, or you may risk getting a rash.

Some may want to do more than avoid it, though — you want to kill it. Just don’t be in a hurry to rip it out of the ground, Jervis warned. You have to get every bit of the root or risk sending up more runners. Plus, you can get a terrible rash from handling the root.

Don’t burn it, either, Jervis said. The oils from the poison ivy can be carried in the smoke, get into your lungs and make you sick.

Weed-killers like RoundUp are usually ineffective, he said, so look for harsher products containing Triclopyr, a herbicide. Check with your favorite garden or hardware store. Remember, it might take more than one application to kill it.

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For more information, visit www.poison-ivy.org.

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“Poison ivy may look different depending on the time of year,” according to Lee McGoodwin, managing director of the Oklahoma Poison Control Center. “The plant has three leaflets that are all on the same stem, but in early spring it may look like a small shrub and then later begin to make a vine.

“During summer months, the leaves are green, but they turn red in the fall and have white berries,” McGoodwin said.

If you suspect an exposure, call the Oklahoma Poison Center at (800) 222-1222 right away for free and confidential medical advice. The poison center is staffed 24 hours a day by specially trained pharmacists and registered nurses. Keep the center’s number near every phone.

The Oklahoma Poison Control Center is a program of the University of Oklahoma College of Pharmacy at OU Medical Center.

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Courtesy of The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center

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Copyright (c) 2007, Tulsa World, Okla.

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