Something you should NOT MESS WITH in the wild… Or just poison ivy…

You know, the funny thing about my situation is that I knew it was going to happen. That’s right, readers; I have poison oak…or maybe it’s poison ivy or poison sumac…OR it could be the very specific Atlantic variation. Either way, I have a cucumber-slice sized rash on the inside of my right wrist. It itches like holy hellfire (said with a thick Southern accent), and it reminds me of how ridiculously sensitive my skin is (I have been in denial of my sensitive skin since I knew that skin could, in fact, be sensitive).

^^^ This is a really great comparative illustration.

It started as a chain of two tiny bumps (for me, poison ivy/oak/sumac always comes in chains of tiny bumps) on the inside of my right wrist last Thursday evening. I believe I was writing my most recent post before this one. I scratched the bumps, thinking it was a simple bug bite, but then I noted the very odd, sadistic satisfaction I got from scratching those particular bumps…and then the fact that it was two bumps instead of just one. To myself, I thought, “Hmmm…I know that feeling all to well…&$%#.”

^^^ See the nice, neat little chain? Disclaimer: This is not me! And my chain later turned into a conglomeration of bumps.

As a part of my summer research, I am collecting samples of mayflies. Fabulous little creatures, really. Anyway, I have been telling my research partner (whom I shall dub “Mogli”) incessantly, “I am most certainly going to get poison ivy.” Collecting our little jitter-bugs involves climbing down into thickly vegetated areas, in order to reach the creek banks (mayfly larvae are aquatic and must be caught in the water). Well, as one might assume, the closer you get to the water, the more lush plant life there is. So this past Thursday, Mogli and I were out in the field. And this past Thurday, I got a rash.

^^^ This is a larval mayfly. Buddy, you better be freakin’ worth this mess…

The next day when I informed Mogli on my affliction, he chuckled and reminded me that things could be much worse; one of his friends from high school had it in his eye once and the rash covered his whole face! Ironically, as I awoke Saturday morning, it seemed unusually difficult to open my eyes. I must have been tired from all the independence day festivities. I got up, stumbled into the bathroom without looking at myself in the mirror and “relieved” myself of my bladdersome burden (that’s right gentlemen…I said “relieved”; you’re not the only ones who can do it). As I washed my hands, I glanced up…then took a double take.

^^^ Once again, this is not me; I am not a topless young boy. But, this is about what my face looked like for a day…thank goodness only a day…I am too vain for this nonsense.

“Moooomm! It’s in my eyes!!!” That’s right. It was mostly my left eye and a bit on my forehead. Mom called the doctor and had an appointment lined up for me in the next hour. Luckily, I could still see quite clearly so I was able to drive myself across town. I would not have wanted to interfere with my parents workout schedule just because of poison ivy IN MY EYES! (I am kidding…I was fine. We laughed quite hard actually, at the fact that a person whose eyes were swelling shut was going to drive themselves to the doctor. As my mother left for the gym, she called back to me, “Call me if you get stranded at the doctor’s office!” and parted with a jovial laugh. Thanks mom.) Within two large doses or steroid pills and cream (don’t worry…I have more to go) my eye swelling went down quite dramatically and I am basically back to normal on my face. Steroid cream does wonders for your complexion, by the way! The rash on my arm remains. Such is life.

So as usual, in light of my tragedy, I will do my best to enlighten all of you so that you may hopefully avoid these horrible afflictions caused by nature. Read carefully!

1. Avoid the following forms of plant life.

^^^ Poison oak. Note: the center leaf is on the stalk.

^^^ Poison sumac. Note: Longer stalk, more leaves.

^^^ Another nice comparison.

I will now close with some random facts about this evil plants that I found on this really awesome website: http://poisonivy.aesir.com/view/fastfacts.html

Urushiol Oil is Potent

• Only 1 nanogram (billionth of a gram) needed to cause rash
• Average is 100 nanograms for most people
• 1/4 ounce of urushiol is all that is needed to cause a rash in every person on earth
• 500 people could itch from the amount covering the head of a pin
• Specimens of urushiol several centuries old have found to cause dermatitis in sensitive people.
• 1 to 5 years is normal for urushiol oil to stay active on any surface including dead plants
• Derived from urushi, Japanese name for lacquer

When the Japanese restored the gold leaf on the golden Temple in Kyoto, they painted the urushiol lacquer on it to preserve and maintain the gold. Guess you could say that you would be caught red handed if you stole it.

Poison Ivy, Oak, and Sumac

• Most common allergy in the country claiming half the population
• Sensitivity to urushiol can develop at any time
• Solutions or cures are those that annihilate urushiol
• Everyone appears to react slightly different to all the remedies.
• Covered by workers compensation in some states (CA, for example)– ironically, California is one of the few states that doesn’t produce these plants.
• First published records of poison ivy in North America date back to 1600s
• Poison Ivy coined by Captain John Smith in 1609
• Western Poison Oak discovered by David Douglas (1799-1834) on Vancouver Island. Douglas fir also named after him.
• People with serious deficiency in cellular (T-cell) immunity such as AIDS patients may not have problems with dermatitis.

Myths vs. Facts

Myth	Fact
Poison Ivy rash is contagious.	Rubbing the rashes won’t spread poison ivy to other parts of your body (or to another person). You spread the rash only if urushiol oil — the sticky, resinlike substance that causes the rash — has been left on your hands.
You can catch poison ivy simply by being near the plants	Direct contact is needed to release urusiol oil. Stay away from forest fires, direct burning, or anything else that can cause the oil to become airborne such as a lawnmower, trimmer, etc.
Leaves of three, let them be	Poison sumac has 7 to 13 leaves on a branch, although poison ivy and oak have 3 leaves per cluster.
Do not worry about dead plants	Urushiol oil stays active on any surface, including dead plants, for up to 5 years.
Breaking the blisters releases urushiol oil that can spread	Not true. But your wounds can become infected and you may make the scarring worse. In very extreme cases, excessive fluid may need to be withdrawn by a doctor.
I’ve been in poison ivy many times and never broken out. I’m immune.	Not necessarily true. Upwards of 90% of people are allergic to urushiol oil, it’s a matter of time and exposure. The more times you are exposed to urushiol, the more likely it is that you will break out with an allergic rash. For the first time sufferer, it generally takes longer for the rash to show up – generally in 7 to 10 days.

This information is not by me! I DO NOT PLAGIARIZE! The copyright is 1999-2008 by Jim Dunphy. There!