Poison Ivy - Avoid the Spring and Summer Terror

Most of us cannot resist getting outside during the spring and early summer months. Whether your particular outdoor activity is hiking, camping, gardening, maintaining flower beds or getting your yard in shape the risk of making contact with a well hidden patch of poison ivy is much the same.

Most of us are sensitive to poison ivy. Even brief contact with the leaves of this plant can cause a burning, itching rash that gradually spreads over a wide surface area of infected skin. As the blisters form they can and often do produce an oily substance that can aid in spreading the rash.

Those who are most allergic to poison ivy suffer greatly as the infected area spreads rapidly and produces even larger skin lesions. These people also are prone to suffer much longer and to a larger extent from the effects of poison ivy infection. Topical treatments are not effective for those most allergic to poison ivy and as a result only medical treatment by a doctor offers any relief at all.

If you have ever suffered from poison ivy infection you are aware of how uncomfortable the condition is and you are aware of how long this discomfort lasts regardless of the curative treatment applied.

Considering the discomfort, the duration of the infection and the ineffectiveness of curative treatments after exposure to poison ivy my conclusion is the best treatment is to avoid contact and exposure to the oily culprit that causes so much grief and suffering.

Recognizing Poison Ivy:

Poison ivy is most active in the early spring, although it remains poisonous through the late fall. The vines on which the ivy grows lie dormant just beneath the surface of the ground during the winter months, but with the first sign of springtime warming it is one of the first plants to produce new growth. Even though it has not appeared previously this outcropping of new growth may appear in your flower bed, your garden or along the edge of your favorite hiking trail.

Many gardeners and flower growers, anxious to start a weed-free bed, begin pulling any and all weeds foreign to their garden bed. If unfamiliar with the appearance of poison ivy well-intended gardeners will pull the unwanted weed out by its' roots and discard it along with the other weeds. Making contact with the leaves of this plant whether by direct skin contact of with clothing, gloves and even tools can lead to the transfer of the irritable oils to the skin of the gardener and begin the long cycle of expanding rashes, itching and extreme discomfort.

To avoid contact with this plant it is first necessary to be able to identify it.

Early Spring Appearance:

When the leaves of the plant first surface in the spring they are red in color. The red leaves will have a shiny, oily appearance. The leaves will always appear in groups of three, with the middle leaf always having a long stem (and appearing larger) than the two outside leaves. The leaves are pointed and are joined to the vine by a red-colored stem.

Mid Summer Appearance:

By mid-summer the leaves turn to a rich green color and are significantly larger than in the spring. The leaves still maintain an oily appearance although this is not as obvious as it is the springtime growth.

Late Summer Appearance:

The leaves begin to show red spines and some leaves may begin to turn slightly yellow. Small green-colored blooms appear between the stem and leaf. These eventually turn into poisonous while berries that hang in clusters (like grapes) between the leaves.

Early Fall Appearance:

The leaves turn yellow or deep red (most common) and exhibit an oily, shiny surface. White berries may remain in cluster between leaves.

During each of the above seasonal changes the one constant is the leaf shape (see photo) and the three-leaf cluster.

If you know that you have made contact with a poison ivy leaf or if you suspect that you have inadvertently made contact with the plant while hiking through the woods or overgrown fields. Doctors always recommend thoroughly washing all exposed skin areas with soap and hot water.

As one who suffers from contact with poison ivy I can tell you that washing with plain soap and hot water does not always work for me. That is because the irritant in poison ivy is an oil-based resin that soap alone does not always remove. On the advice of an elderly grandmother I learned that the oil produced by the poison ivy leaf can be effectively removed by using undiluted dishwashing liquid, which is designed to cut and remove grease and oil. I tried it and it works for me 100% of the time.

If you get exposed to the little green monster the sooner you can wash your exposed skin in liquid dishwashing soap the safer you will be.

I hope this helps you prevent ever experiencing this ordeal.