April 2011

Those Three-Leaved Devils!

Well, spring has sprung. If not evident from the warmer weather, then it is certainly evident with all my patients and co-workers coming in with the classic seasonal sniffles, Kleenex’s, and bottles of Zyrtec.

Another dead give-away that spring has come = POISON IVY/OAK.

The warm weather inevitably brings people back out to their yards, gardens, camping, hiking excursions, and the like. In summer, these three-leaved plants are a little more obvious, but many people come in contact with the vines, berries, and even roots of these plants when they start to do a “clean-up” on their neglected winter yards. They can be quite sneaky when not in their full bloom.

We’ve seen many cases thus far, and will continue to do so throughout the summer months as well. So, I thought it would be a good idea to go over some tips and common misconceptions about this rather annoying rash.

The rash associated with these plants is referred to as contact dermatitis. It is an allergic reaction to the oily substance found on the plants called, urushiol. Sometimes, the rash may not appear until days after exposure. Others will begin to itch fairly quickly. The oily substance is usually picked up on the hands or clothes, and then transferred to other areas of the body. Much to popular belief, IT IS NOT CONTAGIOUS!!! Yep, that’s right. You cannot spread the rash to another area of the body or to another person by simply coming in contact with the skin eruptions. However, a person can spread the oily urushiol to others if it is on their skin or clothes which can cause a subsequent rash. And watch out for your 4-legged members of your family…pets can get the oils on their fur and be a big source of an “outbreak” when you go to cuddle all over them. My sister-in-law recently got a pretty good case of poison ivy after a camping trip but claimed she had absolutely no contact with the plant. We are almost positive her sweet golden retriever was the culprit!

If you know you have been exposed:

  • Wash thoroughly with soap and water as soon as possible. (Liquid dish detergent is even more effective if possible)
  • After washing, swab the affected area of known exposure with alcohol to help eliminate the oils
  • Cool compresses do a world of wonder.– Caution: hot baths may seem to help initially, but will end up making it much more inflamed and worse. Avoid them—I promise, you will end up being glad you did.
  • Cortisone creams over the counter can help with itching
  • With severe, stubborn, or extensive rash, come in to see us and we can administer oral or injectable corticosteriods which can provide a more rapid relief of symptoms.

**Just a mention to poison sumac–It is apparently not indigenous in Tennessee; however, I know I got a crazy case of this as a child in the lakes of Kentucky. It looks different than poison ivy and oak. It has several leaflets that come off one stem, and appears bright red in the fall. It produces a similar reaction to poison ivy and oak. It is most common in wet and swampy areas, so be aware!

I hope this offers some insight into this common spring ailment! Come see us if you have any questions,  or feel that you might go crazy from itching after exposure with one of these monstrous little plants. Happy Spring to you all!