Summer Alerts
Poison Ivy, Poison Oak, and Poison Sumac: Which is making you itch?
Poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac are all plants whose leaves cause a skin rash after contact. After contact, the skin becomes red and inflamed, as well as itchy, and is covered with lines or streaks and fluid-filled blisters or large raised areas called hives. This reaction is caused by urushiol, (an allergen) the oil found all parts of poison ivy, oak, or sumac, that causes the allergic reaction on the skin. Contact can be made by direct or indirect contact with the plant, its leaves, stems, flowers, berries and roots. Indirect contact occurs when you touch objects that have come in contact with the plant, including clothing, pet fur, athletic gear and gardening equipment.
The rash usually appears 8 to 48 hours after initial contact, but can occur 5 hours to 15 days after touching the plant. The rash will continue to develop in new areas over several days where it initially contacted the plant, or where you inadvertently touched something that still has the oil on it. This rash is not contagious; it cannot be caught or spread after the rash appears, even if you touch it or the blister fluid. This is because the urushiol has already been absorbed or washed off the skin. The more urushiol you come in contact with, the more severe of a skin reaction you will exhibit. However, severe reactions to smaller amounts of urushiol may also occur to people who have a higher sensitivity to urushiol. Symptoms of a serious reaction include swelling of the face, mouth, neck, genitals, or eyelids and/or widespread, large blisters that ooze large amounts of fluid.
A normal reaction to the rash usually takes 10 days to three weeks to heal without treatment, while more serious reactions may take up to 6 weeks to heal. Washing the affected area with water immediately after contact with the plants and administering over the counter antihistamines and calamine lotion to relieve the symptoms can treat most rashes at home. Wet compresses and cool baths are also effective at relieving symptoms. Moderate or severe cases of the rash may require treatment by a doctor, which include corticosteroid pills, creams, ointments, or shots.
The best way to prevent the rash is to learn to identify and avoid the plans. The images below show what each of these plants look like. If you must come in contact with the plants, while gardening or other such activity, wear heavy clothing, long pants, long-sleeved shirt, and vinyl gloves to prevent contact. To dispose of the plants, DO NOT BURN, as you will release the urushiol oil into the air and risk inhaling it, causing the same reactions inside the nasal cavity, mouth, throat, and lungs, which is a serious condition that requires hospitalization. Simply, spray the area with or cover the plant with a heavy, opaque material to prevent sunlight, which will kill the plant in time.
Poison ivy is found everywhere in the United States except Alaska and Hawaii. It is most common in the eastern and mid-western states. It is less common outside the United States, but still found on every continent. This plant is known for its three broad, spoon-shaped leaves, and can be remembered by using the phrase, “Leaves of three? Let it be.” Poison ivy can grow as a low spreading vine or a climbing vine, often growing along rivers, lakefronts, and ocean beaches. In the autumn, this plant has bright red leaves and white or cream berries.
Poison sumac is found in wooded, swampy areas, such as southeastern states and in wet, wooded areas in the northern United States. This plant has 7 to 13 smooth edged, pointed tip leaflets per leaf stem. The leaves have smooth edges and pointed tips. Poison sumac grows as a shrub or small tree.
Poison oak has leaves that look like oak leaves, usually with three leaflets but sometimes up to seven leaflets per leaf group. It grows as a vine or a shrub. Poison oak is more common in the western United States, but it is also found in the eastern United States and, rarely, in the Midwest.
Tick and Deer Tick Season
Ticks are small spider-like animals that bite to fasten themselves onto the skin and feed on blood. Ticks live in the fur and feathers of many birds and animals. Tick bites occur most often during early spring to late summer and in areas where there are many wild animals and birds.
Most ticks do not carry diseases, and most tick bites do not cause serious health problems. But it is important to remove a tick as soon as you find it. Removing the tick’s body helps you avoid diseases the tick may pass on during feeding. It is important that you remove the tick’s head helps prevent an infection in the skin where it bit you. This may be hard to do, as the head is imbedded in your skin and may detach during inappropriate extraction.
To remove a tick at home, use fine-tipped tweezers and grab the tick as close to its mouth, where it is attached to your skin, as possible. DO NOT grab the tick around its bloated belly as squeezing could force the infected fluid inside the tick into your system. Pull the tick straight out until its mouth legs go of your skin. DO NOT twist or jerk the tick from your skin, as this will detach the head from the body. DO NOT try to smother the tick or burn the tick while it is still attached to your skin. Place the tick in a jar or ziplock bag and keep in the freezer for later identification if symptoms occur. After removing the tick, wash the area of the tick bite with a lot of warm water and soap, and then thoroughly wash your hands with soap and water. Usually, removing the tick, washing the site of the bite, and watching for signs of illness are all that is needed. If the bite becomes irritated, bring the tick with you to the doctor’s office for identification and testing.
When you return home from areas where ticks might live, carefully examine your skin and scalp for ticks. Check your pets, too.
Many of the diseases ticks carry cause flu-like symptoms, such as fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, and muscle aches. Symptoms may begin from 1 day to 3 weeks after the tick bite. Sometimes a rash or sore appears along with the flu-like symptoms. Deer ticks can carry Lyme disease, an infection that is spread by the bite of ticks infected with the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi.
Symptoms include fatigue, headache, stiff neck, fever, muscle or joint pain and swelling, and sometimes an expanding red rash. If a rash does develop, it may look like a target or “bull’s-eye” in some people. Lyme disease can be difficult to diagnose because its symptoms are similar to many other conditions, and tests do not always detect the bacteria.
Lyme disease is usually effectively treated with a short course of antibiotics. If not treated promptly, however, it can lead to complications involving the heart, nervous system, joints, and skin within weeks, months, or even years later.
Allergy season occurs most notably during the spring and summer months, and affect one of every five Americans. The 2010 allergy season, one marked for its incredibly high, record breaking pollen counts, is the result of a culmination of various factors. First, most of the nation experienced a long, cold winter with large accumulations of rain and snow, providing trees plenty of water. Second, spring arrived late, bringing with it hot, dry, summer-like conditions, which funneled moisture away from the eastern half of the nation. Pollen thrives during dry periods, when it can keep blowing in the wind.
Pollen is the usual culprit behind most allergy sufferers. This is due mostly to how widespread it is; it is simply hard to avoid. It is microscopic and able to be carried in the wind, landing in people’s eyes and lodging in their noses, where they cause irritation. Other allergens include, pet dander, mold, mildew, bees, dust, various grasses and trees.
There are various levels of symptoms of allergic reactions, varying by the degree the person is susceptible to that certain allergen. Mild allergy symptoms can include: rash, itchy, watery eyes; nasal congestion. Moderate allergic reactions include symptoms that spread to other parts of the body, including itchiness and difficulty breathing. Severe allergic reactions, also known as anaphylaxis, are rare, life-threatening emergencies in which the body’s response to the allergen is sudden and widespread. They may begin with sudden itching of the eyes or face and rapidly progress to more serious symptoms including swelling that can inhibit breathing and swallowing, abdominal pain, cramps, vomiting, diarrhea, and mental confusion or dizziness.
The best way to combat allergy season is to take a two-fold approach: prevent and treat. In order to prevent, people susceptible to allergens should avoid being outside from 5 a.m. to 11 a.m., as this is the worst time of the day for pollen, mold, and mildew, as well as after 4 p.m. when some grasses and trees release pollen. The morning dew helps produce more pollen and gives it more substance to adhere to in the air. It also keeps the moisture in the air low, keeping pollen closer to the ground, and you. Keep windows and doors shut and use air conditioning, along with an air filter, to keep your home free of airborne allergens. Wipe down outside furniture and cars to remove the layer of pollen that has accumulated. Bathe pets weekly to remove allergens and dander and keep them out of bedrooms. Vacuum and dust one to two times a week to keep allergen levels in your home at a minimum.
Treating requires that you see your doctor or an allergist with a list of your symptoms. They may provide you with a prescription allergy eye drops, intranasal corticosteroid drugs, and oral and nasal antihistamines. They may also suggest over the counter antihistamines, nasal sprays, eye drops, and decongestants that can be taken daily or as needed. For more severe cases, some doctors may want to perform allergy tests that include skin and blood tests. These tests expose you to a small dose of the most common allergens and measure the reaction. Depending on the results, you could be written a prescription, recommended some over the counter options, or given monthly allergy shots to desensitize your body to the allergen.