What can poison ivy do to you?

[stiflex]

Poison Ivy doesn't exist in my country, I've heard its dangerous but I never found out what can it do.

Does it infect you? And how can you "get poisoned" by it, by touching it or smelling it or what ?

 

[TABL]

You can touch it, or if you cut it you breathe it in. My son is highly allergic. He gets red and itchy patches all over. sometimes he swells up. A few times he'd had to be on steroids to keep it from spreading to his eyes.

 

[Malachi]

Poison ivy leaves are covered in an oil that causes and allergic skin rash. One thing to be very careful of is that you do not burn it in a campfire - you can get very ill if you breathe in the smoke as it can dangerously irritate the lining of your throat and lungs.

For many people, just touching it leaves them with an uncomfortable and itchy rash. If you are highly sensitive, though, it can be much more than an inconvenience. I missed nearly a week of school as a teen after I got poison ivy on my face and my eyes swelled shut.

 

[TABL]

I am not allergic to it. But my son and husband are highly allergic. Very weird.

 

[Norrwen]

It gives you bad rashes, and can be even worse if it is in a sensitive spot. I got poison Ivy in between my fingers. It was horrible. I was itching my poison ivy fingers with the my fingers that had poison ivy. It was the worse place I could get it.

 

[Peaceweapon]

In some people direct skin contact can cause contact dermatitis, redness, swelling, blisters, swollen eyes, or loss of sight. To help prevent poison ivy from causing skin irritation and allergic reactions, wash the exposed area with water within 5 to 10 minutes of contact. Use soap and water first, then ether or alcohol. If the contact area remains itchy for more than a week you should see a doctor.

 

[campforums]

I am not allergic to it. But my son and husband are highly allergic. Very weird.

That's unfortunate for your son that he got the wrong parent's genetics when it comes to this particular allergy!

 

[Karto]

I'm not allergic to it and no one from my family is.

I didn't even know people had such allergies! Maybe it's more of a regional thing?

I still hate the accidental touches :/

 

[Jessi]

The vast majority of my family are highly allergic to it. One of my relatives has been hospitalized because their reaction was so bad that it somehow affected their breathing. It was horrible.

Personally, I'm allergic to practically everything but poison ivy, ha. So I guess I'm lucky that I don't get poison ivy.

 

[Karto]

Wow, that sounds horrible...

I'll definitely have to stop irritating my friends with them! Just in case...

 

[Mr. Blue]

I learned the hard way with poison ivy. I got a huge rash on my leg cause of it. It itched the rest of the trip.


Pretty sure it's the bad looking one that has 3 leaves on it. Stay away, if you're someone that might get easily affected it could ruin a lot if you're out. It would be a good idea to pack any ointment that wold go with it.

 

[Karto]

Itching is normal I think, nothing to be concerned about.

 

[Libragirl67]

It is a plant that is pretty common here in Northern Michigan. I guess the term "poison" ivy sounds scarier than what it really is. It does cause a pretty bad rash on alot of people. You become infected from direct contact with the plant. And as with all skin rashes, the more you scratch it the more it spreads. There are ointments and balms that will eliminate the annoying rash.

 

[AurelioLeo]

Poison Ivy doesn't exist in my country, I've heard its dangerous but I never found out what can it do.

Does it infect you? And how can you "get poisoned" by it, by touching it or smelling it or what ?

reply: It's a plant that when it makes skin contact it causes severe itching. Usually you can take a oatmeal bath to help sooth the itching. Up to 30% of people have no reaction to the plant ,but the rest better watch out for it.

 

[Kementarri]

I luckily have never had an encounter with poison ivy although I have seen it on others and it causes an incredibly itchy red rash all across the contacted area on the skin. It can have worse effects on those that are actually allergic to it though, so you should really be careful and make sure you look around for it when out in the bush/camping or hiking. It is mostly an inconvenience, but like I said, it can get really bad if you are super sensitive to it.

 

[2sweed]

Here we go I thought since this topic is so interesting to you guys & gals, I would show you how bad poison ivy can be by giving you this video to watch of a young man who was doing a kindly deed of helping an neighbor clean up his yard. This case of poison ivy sent this young man to the doctor. On the video he unveils the rash, it's not pretty.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YetKSdjWfvc

 

[Esperahol]

Wow, that sounds horrible...

I'll definitely have to stop irritating my friends with them! Just in case...

You rub your friends with poison ivy? And they're still your friend? Wow. They must really like you or something.