Poison Ivy
'Leaves of three, let them be.'
Now is the you may start to see poison ivy popping up in your garden.
Poison Ivy and other three-leaved plants, such as poison oak, are among the most common causes of an allergic skin reaction called contact dermatitis. Contact with these and other poisonous plants usually causes red, swollen skin, blisters and severe itching. The rash typically develops within three days after exposure, but can develop within a few hours. It lasts from one to two weeks.
If you have had contact with a poisonous plant:
* Wash your skin with soap within 5 to 10 minutes to help avert a skin reaction. Don't take a bath. It can spread oil from the
plants, which is responsible for the allergic reaction, to other areas.
* Wash any item that has been in contact with the plant.
* To ease the itch, take cool showers and use over-the-counter hydrocortisone creams or calamine lotion. Or, apply a paste of baking soda or Epsom salts and water. (Try Not to Scratch!)
Ken Matthews Garden Center has a fabulous product called Poison Ivy Soap that can be used by anyone to help kick the allergic reaction. Check out their website at www.poisonivysoap.com
* Avoid using alcohol. It can make the itching worse.
* Cover open blisters with sterile gauze to prevent infection.
Contact your physician if you have a severe reaction, or if your face or eyes are involved.