Poison Ivy, Poison Oak, Poison Sumac - An Evil Lesson in Botany

Recently, while doing some yard work and spring clean up around my house, I found out that I am one of the up to 85 percent of all people that is allergic to something called urushiol. Urushiol is the oil from poison ivy, poison oak and poison sumac that causes people to have a reaction.

Interestingly, the sensitivity to poisonous plants is not present in people when they are born, but manifests itself after at least one exposure that doesn't usually cause a reaction. According to www.pdrhealth.com just one billionth of a gram of urushiol is all that it takes to start the itching, rash and blisters associated with poison ivy, poison oak and poison sumac.

A person can become infected in a myriad of ways. I think I grabbed the damn weed while pressure washing the house. I wrapped it around my arm and proceeded to yank it away from the house before blasting what was left of the poison ivy with the pressure washer. I wanted to make sure I got some of it splashed on all exposed parts of my body and was quite successful. Some other popular ways to get a reaction out of poison ivy, poison oak or poison sumac include touching something like a pet, a garden tool or piece of clothing that has touched the poison plant.

Since the oil of the urushiol can stay active for up to five years it's recommended that anything that has come in contact with poison ivy, poison oak or poison sumac be washed immediately. Don't try burning anything with the oil on it either. Urushiol can become airborne and infect people's respiratory organs.

Sensitivity and reactions vary from person to person and depending on the severity of the exposure. Spring and summer months are prime times for reactions to poison ivy, poison oak and poison sumac because the plants are loaded with sap and bruise easily at those times. About 24 to 72 hours after one is exposed to the poison from any of these plants, it is apparent something is not right. At first, only a couple sporadic bumps appeared on my arm along with a line of bumps on my forehead from where I must have wiped sweat from my brow. Within 24 hours after first noticing those, the back of my hand began breaking out in a very angry looking rash which played host to a bunch of blisters.

And then the itching began. Itching on my hand, arms, legs and forehead threatened to drive me to the edge of sanity. This signaled a full scale reaction to the poison ivy. The guy in the white coat at the pharmacy down the street recommended that I not scratch the itch. If the blisters are broken by scratching, the area can easily be infected. Besides torturous itching that can't be scratched, there is also some swelling and tenderness that goes along with the blisters and rash (see pictures). After several days the blisters will probably crust and scale over but the rash usually takes a few weeks to clear up.

See the picture above to help you identify these plants. At least one of them grows anywhere in the United States. Poison ivy and poison oak have three leaflets per leaf and poison sumac can have as many as thirteen leaflets per leaf. Leaves can be from one to five inches long and may or may not be shiny. The edges of the leaves can be serrated or smooth.

As I continue to learn things the hard way, I now know how very important it is to be able to identify poison ivy, poison oak and poison sumac. I don't think I would have been quite as aggressive with my yard work if I had known what that pretty plant was.

To learn about remedies for reactions to poison ivy, poison oak and poison sumac, see Remedies For Poison Ivy, Poison Oak and Poison Sumac by Sundance McGee.