Page 3 - Senior Times South Central Michigan - July 2019 - 26-07
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Senior Times - July 2019
Page 3
OUTSMARTING POISONOUS PLANTS
US Food & Drug Administration
First comes the itching, then a red rash, and then blisters. These symptoms of poi- son ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac can emerge any time from a few hours to several days after exposure to the plant oil found
in the sap of these poisonous plants. The culprit: the urushiol oil. Here are some tips to avoid it.
it is possible to pick up the rash from plant oil that may have stuck to clothing, pets, garden tools, and other items that have come in contact with these plants. The plant oil lingers (sometimes for years) on virtually any surface until it’s washed off with water or rubbing alcohol.
Poison ivy and other poison plant rashes can’t be spread from person to person or from scratching.
The rash will occur only where the plant oil has touched the skin, so a person with poison ivy can’t spread it on the body by scratching. It may seem like the rash is spreading if it appears over time instead of all at once. But this is either because the plant oil is absorbed at different rates on differ-
ent parts of the body or because of repeated exposure to contaminated objects or plant oil trapped under the fingernails. Even if blisters break, the fluid in the blisters is not plant oil and cannot further spread the rash.
soon as possible if you come in contact with a poisonous plant. The sooner you cleanse the skin, the greater the chance that you can remove the plant oil or help prevent further spread.
Recognizing Poison Ivy, Poison Oak, and Poison Sumac
• Poison Ivy: Found throughout the United
Don’t scratch the blisters. Bacteria from under your fingernails can get into them and cause an infection. The rash, blisters, and itch normally disappear in several weeks without any treatment.
States except Alaska, Hawaii, and parts of the West Coast. It can grow as a vine or small shrub trailing along the ground or climbing on low plants, trees and poles. Each leaf has three glossy leaflets, with smooth or toothed edges. Leaves are reddish in spring, green in summer, and yellow, orange, or red in fall. It may have green- ish-white flowers and whitish-yellow ber- ries. See the photo above.
You can relieve the itch by:
• Using wet compresses or soaking in cool
• Poison Oak: Grows as a low shrub in the Eastern and Southern United States, and
in tall clumps or long vines on the Pacific Coast. Fuzzy green leaves in clusters of three are lobed or deeply toothed with rounded tips. It may have yellow-white ber- ries.
Tips for Prevention
as zinc acetate, zinc carbonate, zinc oxide, and calamine dry the oozing and weeping of poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac. Protectants such as baking soda or colloidal oatmeal relieve minor irritation and itch- ing. Aluminum acetate is an astringent that relieves rash.
• Poison Sumac: Grows as a tall shrub
or small tree in bogs or swamps in the Northeast, Midwest, and parts of the Southeast. Each leaf has clusters of seven to 13 smooth-edged leaflets. Leaves are orange in spring, green in summer, and yellow, orange, or red in fall. May have yellow-greenish flowers and whitish-green fruits that hang in loose clusters.
ness on the rash.
• The itching gets worse or keeps you awake
Poison plant rashes aren’t contagious but
• Wash your skin in soap and cool water as
weeks.
• The rash is widespread and severe. • You have difficulty breathing.
• Learn what poison ivy, oak, and sumac plants look like so you can avoid them.
See a doctor if:
• Wash your garden tools and gloves regular- ly. If you think you may be working around poison ivy, wear long sleeves, long pants tucked into boots, and impermeable gloves.
• You have a temperature over 100°F.
• There is pus, soft yellow scabs, or tender-
• Wash your pet if it may have brushed up against poison ivy, oak, or sumac. Use pet shampoo and water while wearing rubber gloves, such as dishwashing gloves. Most pets are not sensitive to poison ivy, but the oil can stick to their fur and cause a reaction in someone who pets them.
at night.
• The rash spreads to your eyes, mouth, gen-
Tips for Treatment
water.
• Applying over-the-counter (OTC) topical
corticosteroid preparations or taking pre-
scription oral corticosteroids.
• Applying topical OTC skin protectants, such
ital area, or covers more than one-fourth of
your skin area.
• The rash is not improving within a few
Have a scratch-free summer!
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