Summer
activities bring many opportunities to enjoy the great outdoors.
Unfortunately, many people brush up against Poison Ivy, a common shrub
or vine with three green leaflets coming off of a stem. Exposure to
this plant’s resin can lead to an itchy skin rash within eight hours.
People often get poison ivy while cleaning out brush from their
backyards. Take a minute to identify the populations of vines and
shrubs that you are going to clear beforehand to avoid getting this
skin problem.
Long sleeve pants and shirts should be worn when
working or hiking in the woods. All parts of the plant, not just the
leaves, contain the offending resin, even if the plant is dead and dry.
However, in order for the resin to be released, the plant has to be
injured. Cutting the stalks during a backyard cleanup project can
expose the resin, so can simply brushing up against a previously
injured plant in the wild.
If you have been involved in
activities that may lead to poison ivy, washing with soap and water
will remove the resin from your body. Washing soon after an exposure
can significantly cut down on the symptoms of poison ivy should you
have mistakenly been exposed to the resin. Also, washing work clothes
or hiking clothes to remove the resin prevents re-exposure if you or
your child should happen to wear the same pair of jeans a few days
later. Re-worn clothes often account for a mysterious second rash after
the first attack has receded.
The rash of poison ivy usually
appears a day or two after exposure to the plant. Mild cases of poison
ivy can be treated symptomatically with attention to cooling and
moisturizing the skin to keep the itch down. More severe cases of
poison ivy with weeping, oozing lesions covering a large portion of the
skin or causing the patient to be intolerably uncomfortable can be
treated with oral steroids, so a visit to the doctor may be warranted.
Oozing lesions do not spread the rash to others or other parts of the
body. The oozing fluid originates from the damaged skin and does not
contain the irritating plant resins assuming that the patient has
bathed since the encounter.
There are several ways to control
the severity of the itch of poison ivy. A cool environment helps to
keep the itch down. Burow’s solution (one Domeboro effervescent tablet
in a pint of room temperature water applied to the skin on a saturated
linen handkerchief) helps to cool and dry oozing skin as it evaporates.
Compresses should not be too hot or too cold as either may irritate the
skin lesions. Calamine lotion can be applied as well to dry the lesions
and decrease the itch. Sarna® lotion containing camphor and menthol may
be used also. These three lotions are available without a prescription
and can be used as often as necessary to control itching. I would
recommend choosing two of the three and using them as needed for the
itch. An oatmeal bath also is moisturizing and helps keep down the
itch. diphenhydramine (Benadryl®) is more effective if taken orally,
rather than as a commercially available topical combination with
calamine lotion. Ask your doctor about the proper dosing of Benadryl.
Again,
an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Be aware of the
presence of poison ivy to help reduce your exposure to it.
Caring for Your Newborn
By Robert E Rosenberg, MD, FAAP
This special guidebook is based on my 15 years of experience with newborn babies and families.
It contains sections on *absolute indications to call the doctor, * umbilical cord care, *breast feeding and breast pumps, *and more...
To receive a copy in the mail, send me an e-mail with your name and address by clicking on my e-mail address drrrosenberg@optonline.net
or phone me with your name and address, as well as how you were
directed to this page (telephone book, newspaper ad, etc.). See you
soon!
Sibling Rivlaries: When Your Next Child Arrives
By Robert E Rosenberg, MD, FAAP
This
guidebook, authored by Dr. Rosenberg, contains information on what to
expect when your family is growing. It contains sections on *the psychology of the older child, *parenting the older child, *preparing the older child for the birth of a new brother or sister,
*a list of children's books that will help your child 'open up' and ask
questions about the changes that will occur within your family, *and more...
To receive a copy in the mail, send me an e-mail with your name and address by clicking on my e-mail address drrrosenberg@optonline.net
or phone me with your name and address, as well as how you were
directed to this page (telephone book, newspaper ad, etc.). See you
soon!
