Atlanta Outdoor Club

Tony and I took a group up to Yonah Mt. Saturday and the amount of poison ivy was overwhelming. If anyone has great ideas and suggestions on how they fight the battle of the "evil weed" so you do not get it please share. I am especially curious on how people get the oil off of their clothes and shoes effectively.

Bummer!

Don't burn the stuff, I know a guy that tried that, and inhaled, and had it in his lungs and bloodstream.

He was in ICU for a few days

Climate Changes Are Making
Poison Ivy More Potent
By TARA PARKER-POPE
June 26, 2007

Poison ivy, the scourge of summer campers, hikers and gardeners, is getting worse.

New research shows the rash-inducing plant appears to be growing faster and producing more potent oil compared with earlier decades. The reason? Rising ambient carbon-dioxide levels create ideal conditions for the plant, producing bigger leaves, faster growth, hardier plants and oil that's even more irritating.

Although the data on poison ivy come from controlled studies, they suggest the vexing plant is more ubiquitous than ever. And the more-potent oil produced by the plants may result in itchier rashes. "If it's producing a more virulent form of the oil, then even a small or more casual contact will result in a rash," says Lewis Ziska, a plant physiologist for the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Beltsville, Md.

The latest research, led by Dr. Ziska, studied poison ivy plants in Maryland under different levels of carbon-dioxide exposure. One group of plants was exposed to about 300 parts per million of carbon dioxide -- about the same level found in the atmosphere in the 1950s. Another group was exposed to 400 parts per million of CO2 -- about the same level in the atmosphere today.

After about eight months, leaf size, stem length and weight and oil content of the plants raised at current carbon-dioxide levels were, on average, 50% to 75% higher than the plants under the 1950s conditions, according to the study, expected to be published this year in the journal Weed Science. Not only did the higher CO2 level double the growth rate, but it made for hardier plants that recovered more quickly from the ravages of grazing animals.

The latest research follows a Duke University report last year that higher carbon-dioxide levels create a chemical change in poison ivy that results in a more potent form of urushiol, the oil that triggers an itchy rash in about 70% of people exposed to it. "It is more abundant and allergenic," says Jacqueline E. Mohan, who led the Duke study and is now assistant professor at the University of Georgia in Athens.


www.poison-ivy.org
Poison ivy can be both shiny and dull -- even on the same stalk.
Poison ivy is difficult to identify. Hikers have long known the adage "leaves of three, let them be." But poison ivy, usually found east of the Rocky Mountains, can sometimes have more leaves and look like a shrub or vine. The leaves can range from one to six inches, and be notched or smooth. Depending on the season, they can be red or green.

One Web site, www.poison-ivy.org, offers cards with life-size images to help identify the plant in its various incarnations. Long pants, long-sleeve shirts and socks can help, but clothes need to be removed and washed to avoid contact with urushiol that may have brushed on clothing. The oil can penetrate rubber gloves and boots, so vinyl gloves are recommended if you're trying to remove the plants.

One treatment, sold as IvyBlock, is rubbed on exposed areas before contact to prevent a rash. A 1995 study found the treatment prevented or significantly reduced poison ivy reactions.

Despite protective clothes and washing, Yale nursing professor Patricia Jackson Allen still contracted a rash on her forearms after gardening this weekend. The precautions prevented a more severe rash, but "I haven't found anything that works 100% for me,'' she says.

If you think you've come into contact with poison ivy, wash immediately. But if more than 10 minutes has passed, soap and water removes only about half the oil. A 2000 study found that Tecnu, an over-the-counter poison ivy wash, is about 70% effective in eliminating urushiol two to eight hours after exposure. Goop, a grease remover and Dial Ultra dishwashing soap were about 60% effective, according to a 2004 article in Pediatric Nursing. Rubbing alcohol also helps.

If exposure does occur, over-the-counter topical lotions may provide some relief. Severe cases can be treated with steroids by a doctor.

After exposure to the plant, the urushiol oil in it starts to bind with the skin cells. This is why it's important to wash it as quickly as possible.
There's also a product called Zanfel, that will unbind the oil, even after you have a rash days later. If you remove the oil, the rash disappears, often in just a few minutes. I have used this myself with mixed results, but it has always helped. Just sometimes not as much as I would like.

IvyBlock only works by creating a thin barrier on your skin. This barrier can be rubbed or sweated off and really doesn't do much.

Rubbing alcohol works, but only if you use it correctly. The alcohol doesn't destroy the oil, it just serves as a solvent. The trick is to wipe down with the rubbing alcohol, then wipe it off with a clean towel before it dries. The towel now has the oil on it! Do not handle it more than necessary, and wash it as soon as possible.

Also, Poison Ivy always has 3 leaves per branch. This is the only relative of the 'Poison' family here in the Southeast.
Poison Oak, found out west, also has only 3 leaves.
Poison Sumac can have 7, 9, 11, or 13 leaves per branch.

If you think you're immune, you're not. It's just that you haven't gotten a reaction, YET. The more you're exposed, the greater the odds that you will develop a reaction. After the first one, other reactions come much easier.

After you get a rash, you can greatly relieve the symptoms by running HOT water on it. As hot as you can stand. The itching is caused by the release of histamines from the cells. Heat releases then much faster. This will cause an itch so intense, that it's actually more painful, then itchy. This is actually easier to tolerate. After a few minutes of this, your cells will be depleted of histamine, and thus itch free, for up to 8 hours.

The hot water thing is the most helpful, making poison ivy much more bearable. Also I have heard that undiluted bleach causes the skin to dry out and heal more quickly, or at least stop itching. Will try it out next time.

I've done the bleach thing. It doesn't dry it out, just causes a burning pain that covers up the itching and is easier to tolerate. Doesn't last long though. I'll take hot water over bleach any day.

My background: I used to get it pretty bad when I was young and became an expert on it. When I hit 17 or 18, I stopped getting it. Doctor said it might be from going through puberty, but I credit it to taking poison oak extract for two summers in a row (4 days each time). I didn't get it at all after that and thought I was immune and never avoided it after that. (Turns out, you are never immune. While you may not get a reaction now, sooner or later you will. And they come easier after the first one). Well now I get it again, but not as bad as before. Doesn't look like the poison oak extract is available any more.

Tom