FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Trish Scorpio, Greg Swan: Kohnstamm Communications,
651/228-9141
Thao Le, Hyland’s Inc., 800/624-9659
POISON IVY FACT SHEET
Poison Ivy
• Perennial, high-climbing, woody vine.
• Leaves are grouped in bright green leaves of three, and the
edge of one side of each leaf is serrated.
• Poison ivy can be found in every region of the United States,
except the Southwest, Alaska, and Hawaii. It appears as a weed
with three shiny green leaves and a red stem.
• The plant typically grows in the form of a vine, often along
riverbanks, in moist woods, but also in pastures, fencerows and
roadsides.
Poison Oak
• Grows in the form of a shrub 1 to 6.5 feet tall and has three
leaves similar to poison ivy, however, it does not climb.
• Leaflets are thicker, dull green, hairy on both surfaces, and
also have serrated edges on one side of each leaf.
• Found on the West Coast and throughout the South most abundant
on relatively dry, sunny sites in woodlands, thickets, and old
fields.
Poison Sumac
• Found abundantly along the Mississippi River, but is less
common in other regions.
• Grows as a woody shrub. Each stem contains 7 to 13 leaves
arranged in pairs.
Toxicity
• The poison ivy and poison oak toxin resin (oily sap) called
urushiol is found in stems and leaves.
• All parts of the plants are poisonous.
• The toxic substance is called urushiol. It irritates both the
skin and mucous membranes and is found in all parts of the
plant.
• Some humans are quite sensitive to the effects of the toxin
while others show no ill effects from coming into contact with
the plant.
• The toxin has little or no effect on animals, but pets may
carry the irritating substance on their hair and thereby
transmit it to humans.
Symptoms
• Individuals who are allergic to the resins (oily sap) of the
poison ivy, oak or sumac plant will experience a variety of skin
conditions including a rash, blisters, redness and itching.
• The rash is spread only when the oils come into contact with
different areas of skin. It is not spread by the fluid from the
blisters it creates, thus it is not contagious unless the resin
remains on the skin and is touched by another person.
• The rash can vary in severity from person to person and from
year to year and can begin as early as an hour after contact or
up to five days after contact.
• The resin may persist for long periods on contaminated
clothing, pets, tools, etc., and sensitive individuals can
easily develop the rash from delayed contact with contaminated
items days or even weeks after initial contamination.
• Individuals experience the worst stage of the rash 4 to 7 days
after exposure. Rash may last for 1 to 3 weeks.
Treatment
• Wash skin thoroughly with soap and cool water as soon as
possible following exposure. Because the resin enters skin
quickly, it must be washed off completely within 30 minutes to
prevent a reaction. Scrub under the fingernails with a brush to
prevent spreading of the resin to other parts of the body by
touching or scratching. (Use cool water to wash skin. Warm water
opens pores and may allow urushiol to penetrate deeper into the
skin causing a more severe reaction).
• Use IvyCleanse™, an alcohol wipe for removing the harmful oils
that cause poison plant rash and itching after coming in contact
with the plant.
• Use Ivy Soothe™, a maximum-strength cream clinically tested
for safety and effectiveness in providing rapid relief from itch
and rash from poisonous plants, insect bites and more.
• Antihistamines help relieve itching and can be mildly
sedating.
• Bathing in tepid water with one cup of Aveeno® oatmeal per tub
may also soothe itchy skin. Aluminum acetate (Domeboro®
solution) soaks can also be helpful to dry the rash and reduce
itch.
• Some people have severe allergic reactions to these plants and
can have swelling in the throat, breathing problems, weakness,
dizziness and bluish lips. If any of these reactions occur, seek
emergency medical care.
Prevention and Control Methods
• Learn to identify poison ivy, oak, and sumac to avoid
exposure.
• Cover skin with clothing (long sleeves, long pants, shoes, and
socks) when walking in the woods or in areas where these plants
may grow.
• Use barrier cream IvyBlock® when working in areas where poison
ivy is present. IvyBlock® lotion is unique among anti-itch skin
products because it’s the only FDA-approved product available
that contains an active ingredient called Bentoquatam™ which
creates an absorbent barrier to absorb the allergenic oil in
poisonous plants from touching or being absorbed by the skin.
Use as directed.
• Be aware of resins carried by pets.
• Wash exposed skin thoroughly with soap and cool water as soon
as possible following exposure, or use IvyCleanse™ to remove the
oil.
• Also, keep your hands away from your eyes, mouth and face.
• Wash the clothing and shoes of the exposed person with soap
and hot water. Resin can linger on these surfaces for days.
• May and June are the best times to apply control measures to
these poison plants, but it can be done any time of the year.
• Burning can be dangerous and is not recommended for disposal
or as a control measure because the toxic oil from the plant can
be carried in smoke.
• Remember that the vine left on the tree or fence still has oil
in it so be careful if you pull the vine down. Even if the vine
is brown and looks dead, it still may have oil in it.
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Information collected from United States Department of the
Interior Office of Managing Risk and Public Safety and from
Hyland’s, Inc., the distributor of IvyBlock® and IvyComplete™,
For more information and a list of retail locations, visit
www.ivyblock.com. |
