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Poison Ivy & Plant Allergies |
Poison Ivy & Plant AllergiesPoison ivy is notorious for it contact allergy.
It is the presence of an oily sap called urushiol that triggers the allergic reaction when the plant is brought into contact with the skin. The allergy causing substance, urushiol, is present in all parts of the plant including the stem, leaves and the roots and it gets immediately absorbed by skin. It is the same substance which is present in other poison plants like poison oak and poison sumac. Urushiol has a tendency to easily transfer from one substance to other.
The oil can be passed even via gardening tools.
The allergic response to these poison plants occurs only after 12-48 hours of exposure. These types of allergic reactions are termed delayed hypersensitivity. Diagnosis of poison plant exposure is quite simple.
Initially, the skin that has come in contact with the oil appears red. Gradually, bumps and blisters start appearing; sometimes it is accompanied by itching and swelling. The blisters become crusted and begin to scale in few days. Scratching the rash could result in secondary bacterial infection.
There are no serious complications caused by poison ivy, sumac and oak allergies.
On finding exposure to these plants, make sure that you wash all exposed areas using cool running water and soap. This will avoid the spreading of the oil to the other parts of the body. Make sure that you also wash the items you worn or carried during the exposure. Baking soda baths could help to make the lesions dry soon.
Over the counter lotions like calamine lotions could give you temporary relief from the itching. In most cases the rash could last for 10-15 days. If the skin rash is severe, it could even extend to 30 days or more.
Learning to identify the poison ivy, sumac and oak is the best way to prevent the plant allergies. If these plants happened to present in the surroundings of your home, especially the areas where you play and work often, make sure that you don’t delay to remove it.
If your type of work demands working/walking in areas where these plant grow, make sure that you cover your skin as effectively as you can. Try wearing long pants, long sleeves and cover you feet with shoes and socks. Do not entertain your pets to run in wooden areas, chances are high that they carry the allergy-causing oil back home on their fur. |
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