Season’s ripe for poison ivy
Young and old are spending more time outdoors as spring turns into summer. Rain and sunshine have set the stage for the lush greenery that Western Pennsylvanians adore.
Not so well loved is poison ivy, the lush plant with “leaves of three” that winds through overgrown gardens and grassy lots and over abandoned buildings. It can grow up bushes and trees along woodland paths. Its shiny leaves flutter against legs, ankles and arms. Pets run through the brush, collecting the poisonous oil (urushiol) on their fur, and spread it to unsuspecting children and adults.
Hours or days later, the itchy, blistering rash appears. Only by touching the oil can a person get the rash — whether by direct contact or indirectly through clothing, gardening tools and pets or by burning the plant. Scratching the blisters risks getting a skin infection.
Dermatologist Nicole Velez, with offices at Allegheny General Hospital, North Side, said she often sees poison ivy rashes in patients.
“Seventy percent of the population is sensitive to it. Most people do react if they come into contact.”
Eastern poison ivy is usually seen as a hairy ropelike vine. It always has three green leaves budding from a single stem ( in spring, red leaflets turn to green). The pointed leaf comes in different shapes, and the edges can be smooth or with small notches. The leaves turn more reddish in summer; by fall, the plant has gray-white berries.
“If you’re going to be working in the yard, and you know it’s there, try to cover up,” Dr. Velez said. “Wear long sleeves and pants. If you do have contact, the best thing is to wash with water — don’t use soap, that can spread it. The sooner you can rinse it off, the better.”
She said if 10 minutes have
gone by, only 50 percent of the oil can be removed; the rest is absorbed into the skin. If it’s been more than 30 minutes, only 10 percent is left to be washed off.
“If you wait an hour without rinsing it off,” she said, “you can’t get rid of any of it.” Once symptoms of a rash appear — usually red streaks, sometimes swelling or blisters — it’s too late.
Just as important as washing the skin is washing anything that may have had contact with the plant, she said: shoes, socks, gardening gloves, the family dog. Urushiol will remain on items for some time and cause a reaction if touched.
“Put everything in the washer and dryer. If you have a dog, and the dog was in the area, the dog needs to be washed.”
If the rash is mild, Dr. Velez said a topical steroid, hydrocortisone cream, is the only thing that will help with the itching. If it doesn’t get better, she said, a prescription for corticosteroid pills (prednisone) is recommended for two to three weeks. Doses start high and then taper off. She cautioned against a shorter course of treatment: “If you stop after five or six days, it’ll come right back.”
The American Academy of Dermatology advises if someone has the following more serious symptoms, he or she should go to an emergency room immediately:
• Trouble breathing or swallowing.
• Rash over most of the body. • Many rashes or blisters. • Swelling, especially if an eyelid swells shut.
• Rash on your face or genitals.
• Nothing helps reduce the itching.
“If you do have contact [with poison ivy], the best thing is to wash with water — don’t use soap, that can spread it.” — Dermatologist Nicole Velez