Whether you’re picnicking in the park, hiking in the woods or working in your backyard, watch out for plants that could cause an itchy, painful rash. Poison ivy is one of the most widespread toxic plants in Ohio. Poison sumac, while not as pervasive, is also a concern. Here are tips for preventing and treating reactions to these pesky plants.

How to Spot Poison Ivy

Common in Ohio, poison ivy grows as either a small shrub or a vine trailing along the ground or climbing on low plants, trees and other surfaces. Look for these characteristics to identify poison ivy:

• Three pointed and glossy leaflets growing alternately off the stem, usually with irregular teeth.
• Reddish leaves when they first emerge in spring, green leaves during summer and various shades of red or yellow in autumn.
• Greenish-white flowers and whitish-yellow berries, depending on the time of year.

Poison ivy vines can grow as thick as an arm and are covered with fine hairs that tightly grip the climbing surface.

How to Spot Poison Sumac

Poison sumac is highly toxic but not as common as poison ivy in Ohio. It grows in wet areas such as bogs and swamps.

Watch for:

• A bush or tree with red or brown stems that have leaf clusters of seven to 13 smooth-edged leaflets.
• Orange leaves in spring, green in summer and yellow, orange or red in autumn.
• Yellow-greenish flowers and whitish-green berry-like fruits hanging in loose clusters, depending on the time of year.

How Skin Reacts to Poison Ivy and Poison Sumac

A plant oil called urushiol oil, found in the sap of poison ivy and poison sumac, causes itching, then a rash and then blisters when it comes into contact with skin.

Poison ivy and other poison plant rashes can’t be spread from person to person. But it is possible to pick up the rash from plant oil that may have stuck to clothing, pets, garden tools and other items that have touched these plants.

A rash can occur only where plant oil has touched the skin. It does not spread on the body through scratching. Even if the blisters break, the fluid in the blisters is not plant oil and cannot further spread the rash.

How to Avoid Poison Plant Oils

Here are tips for reducing your risk of exposure:

• Wear a long-sleeved shirt and long pants when hiking or working in areas where poison ivy and poison sumac may be present. Wear gloves when working in these areas.
• Stay on designated paths or trails.
• Wear pre-contact lotion or solution, available in drugstores.
• Wash your garden tools and gloves regularly.
• Give your pet a bath if you think it may have brushed up against poison ivy or poison sumac. Use pet shampoo and water while wearing rubber gloves, such as dishwashing gloves.

If you do come into contact with poison ivy or poison sumac, quickly wash with soap and water (or a post-poison ivy contact solution) to minimize the severity of the rash and to prevent the spread of the oil. Wash under your nails to remove any oil that may be trapped there.

Never burn poison ivy or poison sumac. Inhaling the smoke can cause a severe allergic reaction.

How to Treat the Rash

Don’t scratch the rash or blisters; bacteria from under your fingernails can cause an infection. The rash, blisters and itch normally disappear in several weeks without any treatment.

You can relieve the itch by:

• Using wet compresses or soaking in cool water.
• Applying over-the-counter (OTC) topical corticosteroid preparations or taking prescription oral corticosteroids.
• Applying topical OTC skin protectants such as zinc acetate, zinc carbonate, zinc oxide and calamine to dry the oozing and weeping. Protectants such as baking soda or colloidal oatmeal relieve minor irritation and itching. Aluminum acetate is an astringent that can relieve the rash.

See a doctor if:

• You have a temperature over 100 degrees.
• There is pus, soft yellow scabs or tenderness on the rash.
• The itching gets worse or keeps you awake at night.
• The rash spreads to your eyes, mouth, genital area or covers more than a quarter of your skin area.
• The rash is not improving within a few weeks.
• The rash is widespread and severe.
• You have difficulty breathing.

For minor rashes, see your primary care physician. Seek medical attention at an urgent care facility if your symptoms are more severe but not life-threatening. Call 911 or go to the emergency department if you have difficulty breathing or see signs of a serious infection.

Sources:
American Academy of Dermatology
Food and Drug Administration
U.S. National Park Service