4 Things to know...
.......about poison ivy.
The more time we spend outdoors, the more likely we are to come contact with poison ivy (or its cousins, poison oak and poisonsumac). To minimize your chances of getting the rash or minimize the agony, here are some useful facts.
-Beth Botts
1.Leaves of three, let it be: Poison ivy is a woody vine (or sometimes low shrub) with three bright green pointed leaflets. Merely brushing against it releases urushiol, the rush- inducting culprit. The tiny amount needed to set off an inflammation can cling for years to clothes, back-packs, tents, etc. You also can pick it up from a dog or cat's fur. (Pets don't get the rash.)
2. Wash up: When you suspect you have been exposed to poison ivy, immediately remove all outer clothing. If possible, start by applying lots of rubbing alcohol to dissolve the oil, suggets the Food and Drug Administration. Then flush your skin with large amounts of water. Then take a thorough shower with soap and water and put on clean clothes. Using plastic bags on your hands, put your discarded clothing in the washer and launder with hot water. Also wash boots, tools and anything else that may have picked up the oil - again, without touching them.
3. Ease the pain: You'll know within 48 hours if your immune system has reacted to urushiol. Over-the -counter drug-store creams and oatmeal baths may help. In severe cases, see a doctor, who may prescribe steroids.
4. Keep it away: Never put poison ivy in the compost heap. Seal it in paper landscape bags and place them out for pickup. Burning any part of a poison ivy plant, in a campfire or for disposal, is a very bad idea. The urushiol can be vaporized and carried in the smoke to your skin or even breathed into your lungs.
FROM:
(Home&Garden appears in Sunday's Chicago Tribune).
What Poison Ivy looks like:
Poison Ivy
Typical poison ivy in a suburban yard
