Poison oak is not an oak, and poison ivy is not ivy. The names derive from the similarity of their group of three leaves to certain oak leaf shapes and the plant's habit of climbing like ivy. Several species bear these common names and all present to the genus Rhus. It is common to call the types of shrubs poison oak and those that climb in search of poison ivy.
The North American continent is the only continent that harbors these plants, either variety is found in almost every type of environment, from swamps to arid and mountainous terrain. They can be beautiful. The new leaves are a deep burgundy, turning bright green and finally red in fall. Admire them if you want to, but keep your distance!
Its juice contains a chemical called urushiol and a very small amount on the skin can cause a painful case of poison ivy dermatitis. The smallest brush against a blade can be itchy. Blisters develop from which noticeable fluid loss and severe cases cause swelling and even fever. It takes several hours after contact to appear and sometimes a few days. The toxin is not superficial but penetrates the surface of the skin to infect the underlying tissue. This is why it takes time to develop.
A poison oak box is so easy to assemble that for several years, on a thought that the plant would emit a smoking miasma or an exhale that would infect people who had never touched it. This is not true, but a person does not have to touch bare skin to be affected. If a person's clothes rub against the plant, you can contract them by touching them months later. To stroke a dog through a poisoned oak tree is enough to suffer a bad fall. Smoke from the burning plant can carry poisonous urushiol.
To illustrate the ongoing poison, a pair of white cloth gloves used to harvest poison ivy were kept in a cupboard for ten months, then washed in lukewarm water and strong soap for 10 minutes. A volunteer then handled the gloves and the next day developed toxic ivy dermatitis. This shows why common care is recommended: washing with yellow soap after a trip to the forest often does not work. This is always good advice. It can help and it doesn't hurt. Officials claim that this can be done thirty minutes after contact, claiming that there is a chance to inactivate the poison.
Once the rash starts, there are no really effective treatments. Usually he has to take his course, it takes two or three weeks to do it. Calamine lotion relieves itching. Avoiding scratches will prevent it from getting worse and spreading. In severe cases, the doctor may prescribe treatment that relieves the suffering. Several drugs similar to cortisone are used. But once the poison has contracted, it's basically a waiting list for rescue.
With poison oak, the old adage is true: once prevention is worth a book of cure. Various creams and ointments are sold to prevent urushiol juice from entering the skin. They do good. Some doctors give doses of urushiol, by mouth or by injection, to boost immunity, but this has not been very effective. Better protection is clothing that prevents contact of the plant with bare skin. The best prevention is to recognize the plant and keep its distance. Do not touch it or anything you touched.
