10 Tips: Children/Outdoors/Poison Ivy

July 6, 2009

Posted in Outdoor Recreation, Prevention, Safe & Healthy Travel
Tags: anesthetics, antihistamines, blisters, contagious, cortisone, hollister moisture barrier, itching, ivy, outdoors, plants, poison, poison ivy, poison ivy wash, poison oak, poison sumac, rash, tecnu ivy scrub, urishiol, urushiol, zanfel

Mother Nature provides us with an infinite array of wonders. But it seems that she also possesses a mischievous streak, perhaps to remind us that “natural” is not synonymous with “beneficial,” as many people like to think. Poison ivy is a case in point. It affects countless millions of Americans each year.

1. Recognize the plant. Poison ivy is present in most of North America, except along the Pacific coast, but not in the rest of the world. It most often grows at the edge of woods, but can grow almost anywhere. The leaflets appear in clusters of three. (“If the leaves are in three, let them be.”) The color of the leaves varies with the season, from greenish-red in spring, to green in summer, to greenish-red, -yellow and -orange in fall. But many plants fitting this description are not poison ivy. 

2. Know the “poison” in ivy. The rash-causing chemical is an oily substance, urushiol, and it is present in the entire plant – leaves, stem and roots. Some people appear more susceptible than others but few, if any, are entirely immune. Where the oil touches skin, a rash will usually appear. Infants rarely get severe cases; it may take repeated exposure to become sensitized.

3. Prepare children for the outdoors. Check play areas for plants. Teach older children to recognize the plant and not to touch vegetation unnecessarily. Wearing clothing with long pants and sleeves and high socks minimizes exposure. Wearing gloves gives even more protection, but is usually not practical.

4. Urushiol combines with skin rapidly. The damage occurs in the first hour or so. If you think there has been contact, wash the area immediately with soap and water. Washing may minimize the rash or prevent it from occurring. The more oil that touches the skin, the sooner the rash will appear and the more severe it will be. The rash can surface as early as eight hours after contact or days later.

Over-the-counter substances, such as Tecnu Ivy Scrub and Zanfel Poison Ivy Wash, remove urushiol already bound to the skin, lessening symptoms. These products may be used on children two years of age and older. Read directions.

5. The rash usually consists of pinhead-sized, fluid-containing blisters. The blisters are often in streaks, the result of oil-covered fingers touching the skin. Generally, the rash lasts a few days but may persist for a week or two. 

6. The rash is not contagious to others. You cannot spread poison ivy to additional parts of your body or to other people. The fluid in the blisters does not contain urushiol. The blister fluid is the body’s reaction to the oil. Subsequent appearance of the rash on a new area of the body is the result of less urushiol having contacted that area or is due to a new exposure. 

7. Various medications reduce itching. Cool water compresses are very soothing. Also helpful are substances containing hydrocortisone or phenol and menthol. Not recommended are topical antihistamines or anesthetics, (”caine” products, for example). These may cause rashes in some individuals. Oral antihistamines reduce itching but have side effects. Read directions. Severe cases of poison ivy may require medical attention, including oral cortisone.

8. Rarely, poison ivy can be contacted indirectly. Urushiol can remain potent for many hours and sometimes longer on shoes and clothing, on the coats of pets, and on toys. Wear gloves to wash these after possible exposure. Also, avoid inhaling the smoke of wildfires. Inhaling urushiol is very irritating to the lungs and is a major hazard to forest firefighters. 

9. Be familiar with two other urushiol-containing plants, poison oak and poison sumac. These are less common than poison ivy and more difficult to identify (see pictures). The rashes of all three “poisons” are similar and the treatment is the same.

10. Preventing the “poisons.” Blocking creams such as Tecnu Ivy Block or Hollister Moisture Barrier provide an effective shield between urushiol and skin. If contact with “poison” plants is likely use blocking creams each time children enter such areas.  The creams are approved for children two years of age and older. Follow directions.

For further information, please visit the following websites:

American Academy of Dermatology
http://www.aad.org/public/Publications/pamphlets/Poison_IvyOakSumac.htm

National Park Service Public Health Program
http://www.nps.gov/public_health/inter/info/factsheets/fs_pivy.htm

Posted in Outdoor Recreation, Prevention, Safe & Healthy Travel
Tags: anesthetics, antihistamines, blisters, contagious, cortisone, hollister moisture barrier, itching, ivy, outdoors, plants, poison, poison ivy, poison ivy wash, poison oak, poison sumac, rash, tecnu ivy scrub, urishiol, urushiol, zanfel