Poison Ivy, Poison Oak,

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Poison Ivy, Poison Oak, Poison Sumac

• Caroline McCammack
• Spring 2008

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Poison Ivy, Poison Oak, and Poison Sumac

• Plants that can cause a highly allergic reaction
  if one comes in contact with them
• All three contain the same poison
• This presentation will teach you about the
  poison, treatment options, prevention methods,
  where these plants are found, and how to identify
  them

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Urushiol

• Urushiol is an oil that causes an allergic skin
  rash on contact. Urushiol is found in the sap of
  poison ivy, oak, and sumac.
• It is a colorless or pale yellow oil that is in
  all parts of the plant, including roots, stems,
  and leaves
• After about 15 minutes of exposure, the urushiol
  is chemically bonded to the skin and can no
  longer be washed off

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Urushiol

• Around 15 to 20 of people are immune to
  urushiol and have no allergic response to it
• The reaction to urushiol is unique in that
• Most times the allergy doesn't emerge unless
  you've been exposed before, but some people
  develop a rash after their very first exposure
• Over time with repeated or more concentrated
  exposure to Urushiol, some people can become
  immune while others can lose their immunity
• Urushiol oil can remain active for several years,
  so handling dead leaves or vines can still cause
  a reaction
• Urushiol can also be found in the
• nut shell of cashew fruit and on
• the skin of the mango fruit

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The Reaction
OUCH!

• The symptoms begin with a severe itching of the
  skin that develops into reddish colored
  inflammation or non-colored bumps, and then
  blistering of the skin occurs

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The Reaction

• The oozing fluids, released by scratching the
  blisters, does not spread the poison
• Larger amounts of exposure have an earlier onset
  and larger reaction, smaller amounts of exposure
  produce a delayed reaction.

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The Reaction
If poison ivy, oak or sumac are burned and
inhaled or eaten, the allergic reaction will be
internal, causing extreme pain, internal
irritation or damage, and possibly death
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Treatment

• If you can wash the exposed area thoroughly with
  soap or rubbing alcohol within 15 minutes of
  initial exposure you are unlikely to develop the
  rash
• After the rash has developed, treatment is based
  on relieving symptoms

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TreatmentSelf-care treatments and
over-the-counter medications
Calamine lotion can help relieve itch and dry up
blisters
Compress with ice-cold whole milk helps dry the
rash and soothe the itch. Plain ice can
temporarily soothe the itch.
Over the counter oral medicines (antihistamines)
to control itching, such as Chlor-Trimeton
and Benadryl
Aveeno Oatmeal lotions, salve or bath forms help
relieve itch
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Treatment

• If the rash is widespread or results in a large
  number of blisters, your doctor may prescribe
• Corticosteroids, such as prednisone
• Antihistamines
• Topical or oral steroids

• If all else fails, remember that
• time heals all
• Most rashes clear within one to
• three weeks
• If you scratch your rash, it may
• take longer to clear

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Prevention

• Use commercial products that can help keep the
  urushiol oil from getting into your skin.
• Ivy Block is the only FDA approved product for
  preventing rashes for poison ivy, oak or sumac.
  This lotion forms a clay-like coating on the
  skin.
• The U.S. Forestry Service spray themselves with
  deodorant!
• Where protective clothing when dealing with these
  plants

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Protective Clothing

• Long pants
• Long sleeves
• Boots
• Gloves
• Make sure all clothing overlaps to prevent
  exposure

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Prevention

• Wash all tools, clothes, and other items that you
  will need to touch in the future that came in
  contact with the plants
• Where protective clothing when dealing with these
  plants
• Learn how to identify the plants and avoid
  contact with them
• If your employees could be exposed to these
  plants, as their employer you have a
  responsibility to train them in identification
  and treatment practices

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Poison Ivy
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Poison Ivy Habitat and Range

• Poison Ivy grows as a vine or shrub
• It grows throughout most of North
  America, except Newfoundland and Alaska, and is
  normally found in wooded areas, rocky areas, open
  fields and disturbed areas
• It can grow in a wide variety of soil types, but
  does not grow in desert or arid conditions
• It rarely grows at altitudes above 5,000 ft

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Poison Ivy Appearance
Have light green or light green berries and
greenish-white flowers
Have compound leaves made up of three
almond-shaped leaflets with pointed tips
The middle leaf is typically larger and has a
longer stem than the other two leaves
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Through the Seasons the Look of Poison Ivy can
Change

• SPRING
• Leaves start out bright red, which helps to
  fend off insects
• Keep in mind that new leaves can always be
  reddish even when they sprout in summer

• SUMMER
• Leaves are green
• Newer leaves are shiny and still somewhat red
• Older leaves are more dull

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Through the Seasons the Look of Poison Ivy can
Change

• FALL
• Poison Ivy can be a variety of colors in the
  fall including yellow, red, and orange

• WINTER
• Poison Ivy is very hard to identify in the
  winter and therefore is even more dangerous

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Poison Oak
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Poison Oak

• Poison oak grows as a vine or a shrub (up to 3
  feet tall), but never an actual tree
• There are two types of poison oak
• Western Poison Oak
• Found only on the Pacific Coast of North America,
  ranging from southern Canada to Baja California
• Found in damp, shady areas near running water and
  out of direct sunlight
• Atlantic poison oak
• Grows mostly in sandy soils in eastern parts of
  the United States
• Found growing in forest, thickets, and dry, sandy
  fields

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Poison Oak Identification
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• The leaves are divided into 3 leaflets
• Middle leaf has longer stem like
  poison ivy
• Leaves are scalloped, toothed, or lobed edges-
  generally resembling the leaves of a true oak,
  though the Western Poison-oak leaves will tend to
  be more glossy
• Leaflets are usually hairy

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Spring
Fall
Summer
Berries
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Poison Sumac
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Poison Sumac

• Grows as woody shrub or small tree
  up to 20 feet tall
• Grows exclusively in very wet or flooded soils,
  usually in swamps and peat bogs, in the eastern
  United States and Canada
• In terms of its potential to cause a urushiol
  allergic reaction, poison sumac is far more
  dangerous than its relatives poison ivy and
  poison oak. According to many botanists, poison
  sumac is the most toxic plant species in the
  United States
• Luckily poison sumac is not very common, although
  non-poisonous sumacs are very common

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Poison Sumac
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• Leaflets are smooth
• No hair on leaves or stems
• 7-13 leaves
• Leaves arranged in pairs with a single leaf on
  the end
• Have small yellowish-green flowers that mature
  into berries resembling those of poison oak or
  poison ivy
• In early fall, leaves turn to a red-orange or
  russet shade

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The End!

• References
• Poison Ivy, Oak, Sumac Information Center,
  http//poisonivy.aesir.com/view
• Treating Poison Ivy, Poison Oak, or Poison Sumac,
  http//www.drgreene.org/body.cfm?id21actiondeta
  ilref559
• How Poison Ivy Works, http//science.howstuffworks
  .com/poison-ivy.htm