Treachery In the Great Outdoors

Poison ivy, oak, sumac easy to find, hard to identify

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

I remember it like it was yesterday. It was April 2002. I was looking forward to high school graduation and heading off to college but, more importantly, my senior prom.

I already had my prom dress. Strapless and full-skirted, it was ivory with gold beading and embroidery. The dress matched my pale skin and made me look aglow. I was going to prom with one of the "cool" guys, and I was certain I would look perfect.

Fast Facts

Poison Ivy

Identification

• Always has three leaves

• Never has thorns

• Leaves can be notched or smooth but not saw-toothed

• Leave clusters alternate, are not symmetrical

• Leaves can be small, large, shiny, dull, red, green, yellow, smooth or rough

— Source: poison-ivy.org

Fast Facts

Signs or symptoms associated with dermal contact with poisonous plants may include:

• Red rash within a few days of contact

• Possible bumps, patches, streaking, or weeping blisters (blister fluids are not contagious)

• Swelling

• Itching

— Source: Centers for Disease Control

Fast Facts

Prevention

Prevention is the best way to avoid the painful rash that comes with poison ivy and poison oak exposure. If working or playing outside, take these steps protect your skin:

• Wear long sleeves, long pants, boots, and gloves.

• Wash exposed clothing separately in hot water with detergent.

• Barrier skin creams, such as a lotion containing bentoquatum, may offer some protection before contact.

• Barrier creams should be washed off and reapplied twice a day.

• After use, clean tools with rubbing alcohol (isopropanol or isopropyl alcohol) or soap and lots of water. Urushiol can remain active on the surface of objects for up to 5 years. Wear disposable gloves during this process.

•Do not burn plants that may be poison ivy, poison oak, or poison sumac. Inhaling smoke from burning plants can cause severe allergic respiratory problems.

— Source: Centers for Disease Control

That was, until the red bumps showed up.

Three bumps, all in a row on my elbow and itching like nothing I had felt before. My grandmother covered them in calamine lotion, and my mother tried ice to alleviate the itching. Nothing helped. In fact, the itching got worse, and the bumps spread.

By the morning of prom, I was covered in pink pustules and my clear, alabaster skin was now bright red. That night I wore a jacket and ivory gloves and my mother's thick foundation makeup.

A week before prom, I had unknowingly gotten into a patch of poison ivy at my grandparents' farm in Tennessee. Prescription and over-the-counter medications helped, but I was miserable, and my arms still carry the scars of my incessant scratching.

Poison ivy, as well as poison oak, are common rash-causing plants in Northwest Arkansas, and while everyone is out enjoying the hot summer weekends, they are additionally exposing their sun-kissed skin to the potentially dangerous plants.

Both plants contain an oil called urushiol, an extremely sticky liquid found in the leaves, berries and stems of the plants. Because it's sticky, the oil attaches easily to skin, clothes, hair and pet fur and can maintain its irritating properties indefinitely.

The result in those who are sensitive to the oil: a ruined prom.

But the painful rash experienced by about 50 percent of those who come into contact with the plants is completely avoidable. Identification of the plants can be difficult, and but rash-prevention is feasible. And although difficult, it is possible to remove this complicated plant from homes and backyards.

Identification

"Everybody's got stories about poison ivy," said Jonathan Sachs, creator of poison-ivy.org. "Everyone wants to talk about it. So many people have told me that their experience with the rash was the worst thing that ever happened to them. Some say poison oak is worse. But they look and act so similar, it doesn't really matter. They'll both put you in the hospital."

The website, created from Sachs' research and life experience, offers a wealth of information on poison ivy, poison oak and the water-loving poison sumac and helps visitors identify the plants, which, according to Sachs, is the first step in avoiding the devilish rash.

"If you get the bad rash, it's really going to ruin your summer," said Sachs. "All you have to do is recognize the plant. But that can be hard. There are very few things you can count on when trying to recognize it."

According to Sachs, only three aspects of the poison ivy and poison oak plants are constant. Poison ivy and poison oak both have three leaves, no more and no less, he said. "If the plant has three leaves and an extra pair, it's not poison ivy or poison oak."

The plants also never have thorns, he said. A common plant with thorns often confused with poison ivy is blackberry, which grows in a vine and has leaf clusters nearly identical to the poison plants. It is very common in Northwest Arkansas.

"Finally, the only other thing you can count on is the stem," he said. "If you look at the stem, and you see the branches coming off left and right, across from each other like a cross, it's not poison ivy or poison oak. It's not like that. They alternate. It's not neat and symmetrical."

Although these are the only three aspects that are certain, other common characteristics of the plants will help in identification.

According to Sachs, poison ivy and poison oak are never sawtooth. The leaves may have notches, but "if that leaf was made out of metal and you could cut wood with it, it's not poison ivy," he said. The leaf shape is also extremely variable and the size can be less than a half inch or larger than a dollar bill, he said, and the colors can range from red to yellow to green.

"It's like mushrooms," said Sachs. "Some people know what they're looking for, and picking the wrong thing could kill you. There is so much variability, and the number of things you can count on are so few. It's best to try to identify it and just not touch it. With a little bit of recognition, so much aggravation can be avoided."

Prevention

Citizens of Northwest Arkansas, who have been lucky to avoid a lot of baddy plants due to our cold winters, cannot dismiss the health risks posed by poison ivy and poison oak.

"Poison ivy doesn't care about ice and snow," said Sachs. "It's perennial and woody, so it drops its leaves in the winter and says, 'I'll see you in March.' So even if you have a good, hard winter, it doesn't make any difference. It's still all over the place."

Poison ivy and poison oak grow in woods, yards, fields, on abandoned buildings and around lakes and ponds in Northwest Arkansas, he said. "It's not an invasive plant, but it is opportunistic. There's not a place I know where poison ivy won't grow. It likes the sun, so I can guarantee that on any old country road or a path in the woods -- on the edge of the highway or golf course -- there will be poison ivy."

While not often found on mowed grass, the plants are often found in back yards as a creeping vine on a tree or jumbled together, like a bush, he said. The plants can also be found scattered across the ground and in among other plants, masking the danger.

"You can get it easily," Sachs said about the rash. "You can get it looking for a baseball in the weeds. It gets on animal fur when they're outside rolling around. Dogs don't get it, but they'll be happy to give it to you."

Sach suggested three ways to avoid getting the offending oils on the skin.

• First, he said, don't touch the plant. The leaves, berries and roots all have urushiol oil, making the plant extremely toxic.

• Second, don't pet a dog when it comes in from outside, he said. Only humans are sensitive to the oil, he said, and due to its sticky qualities, the oil can stick to pet fur, making Fido the perfect carrier. Sachs suggested donning rubber gloves and thoroughly washing any pet after it has been in an area where poison ivy or poison oak is plentiful.

• Lastly, thoroughly wash hands after any possible contact with the plants. Because the skin on the palms is so thick, he said, humans do not often get the rash on their hands, but can spread the rash by rubbing the oil into the thin skin of the face, arms, back, and legs.

Identification of the plant is difficult, and avoiding the oils can seem nearly impossible, but Sachs jokingly had one suggestion to ensure a safe holiday.

"Maybe you could just have your kids just stay inside and play video games."

Misconceptions

The most common misconception about the poison ivy and poison oak rashes is that they can spread through scratching, which, according to his research, Sachs said is not the case.

"You can't spread the rash," he said. "You'll get blisters, but those blisters aren't filled with the oil, so breaking the blisters won't spread the oil on more of your skin. I think it looks like it spreads due to dose or some of the skin won't react as fast, so it gives the appearance of spreading."

The oil also maintains its potency indefinitely, he said, which allows it to stick well to hands and anything those hands may touch.

"You touch the plant and then get into your car, and even if you go home and wash your hands, there's still a ton on your steering wheel," he said. "It's on your jacket and shovel, just ready, waiting for you. You may not wash it off your hands well enough and spread it by touch all over your body. The rash itself can't spread through scratching, but you can get a tremendous infection."

The rash is also not communicable, he said. "It's an allergy, and allergies are very complicated. You can be immune to the oil, and then suddenly become sensitive to it later in life. But you can't get it from someone else unless they have the oil on their skin. The rash is caused by the oil absorbing into the skin, so once it's in, it's in. It can't spread to someone else."

The sticky and irritating nature of the oil makes removal of the plant very difficult but often necessary when poisonous ivy grows in backyards.

"There are three ways to get rid of the plant," said Sachs. "Use weed killer, rip it out or hire a professional. Of course, weed killer will kill everything else and it's terrible for the environment, but it will work. So if you use a weed killer chemical, read the directions carefully, and use as little as you can. Remember, Agent Orange of Vietnam infamy is not much different than the stuff we use today to kill weeds."

The best method of removal is to rip out the plant by the root, he said, which can only be accomplished by hand. "This is going to expose you to massive quantities of the oils. Either someone who is immune or wearing a Hazmat suit should do it. It's best to hire a professional. Or get a goat. Goats eat poison ivy with no ill effects. Of course, they will also eat everything else they can reach, and depending on where you live, goats may make you unpopular with the neighbors."

Regardless of the method of removal, two methods should never be attempted. First, using a weed whacker is ineffective as it does not remove the roots and causes the oil to splash onto exposed skin. Second, poison ivy and poison oak should never be burned.

"Do not burn it," Sachs said. "If you breathe the smoke, you may end up in the hospital. Always check your firewood in the winter to make certain there are no roots attached to the wood."

Northwest Arkansas is ripe with plant life, and with that comes the poisonous plants best avoided. Whether one is able to identify the plant and entirely avoid is uncertain, but one thing is sure: It's here.

"Watch out for vines on the ground or on trees in your yard," said Sachs. "If you see a vine you don't know, assume it is poison ivy. In this case, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Poison ivy is everywhere. I would be ready to say I can find it in your yard."

-- Sometimes coming in contact with the poisonous plants is unavoidable, especially during the summer season. The rash, while usually benign, can become serious quickly, especially if the oils have come into contact with the eyes, mouth or other sensitive skin, or inhaled. Anyone showing signs of the rash should see a doctor immediately.

NAN Life on 07/02/2014