JULY 2006 NEWS

 APOTHECARIAN HERBALS, LLC

3430-D Anderson Hwy, Powhatan, VA  23139 ~ 804-598-5352 www.herbalconsultant.com

POISON IVY

I have become very susceptible to poison ivy in the last few years and I try to avoid it like the plague! According to the American Academy of Dermatology, approximately 85% of the population will develop an allergic reaction if exposed to poison ivy, oak or sumac, according to the American Academy of Dermatology. They also advise that poison ivy, oak or sumac reactions can only be contracted by having direct contact with the volatile oil of the plants (the oil is called urushiol, pronounced oo-roo-shee’-ohl). It is a commonly believed myth that people can “catch” poison ivy or oak from others or spread it by touching the rash and then touching other places on themselves or others. It’s also a myth that breaking the blisters will spread the rash. The blisters don’t contain urushiol, so the rash can’t be spread that way. Urushiol can, however, be carried by pets who have rubbed against a bruised plant, or it can adhere to our clothes, tools or even sports equipment. By touching those items, we get urushiol on our bodies and then the rash and blistering develops.  Urushiol can stay on clothing or other items for years if not washed off, so we could actually come in contact with it long after touching the plant itself.

    The rash, blisters and itch normally disappear in 14 to 20 days without any treatment, but it’s difficult to deal with the itching without doing something.  Commonly recommended natural treatments to soothe symptoms include the following:

   *Baking soda made into a paste and applied to the rash;

   *Aveeno (colloidal oatmeal) baths;

   *Tea tree oil (melaluca), diluted with witch hazel and applied to the rash every few hours;

   *Aloe vera gel, which is said to ease the itching and soothe the discomfort;

   *Rhus tox, a homeopathic oral remedy which acts to build immunity to poison ivy.

Some of the more unique remedies posted by visitors to a website devoted to poison ivy (http://poisonivy.aesir.com) included the following, among many others:

      *Sleeping and crying (which is what I feel like doing when I get it!);

      *Camphor and moonshine mixed together and rubbed on the rash;

      *Rubbing one’s own urine on the rash;

      *Vinegar and pennies (soak 40 pennies in 1 cup of vinegar for 24 hours, then rub the vinegar

        on the rash).

 To keep from getting the itchy, scratchy misery of a poison ivy, oak or sumac rash, there are several preventive measures that you can take when you need to be around the plants. These are recommended by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA):

      *Wear clothes that cover your body as completely as possible.

      *Before you come in the house, cleanse exposed skin with rubbing alcohol, then with water.

      *Come inside and take a shower. Don’t use bar soap because the oil can actually adhere to

        the soap and stay there.

      *Wipe off all clothing and shoes with rubbing alcohol, then wash the clothes. Don’t put them in

       the laundry hamper with other items of clothing that might come in contact with the oils.

      *The sooner you wash, the better. Waiting too long can allow the oil to soak into your skin.

        Waiting no longer than 10 minutes before washing is suggested.

 There are two plants that usually grow in close proximity to poison ivy, oak and sumac that, according to herbalists and folk healers, serve as natural antidotes to urushiol.  These are the common weeds plantain and jewelweed.  If you know you’ve rubbed against poison ivy, oak or sumac, pick some jewelweed or plantain, chew it into a pulp, and rub the pulp over all areas that were exposed to the poison plants.  This can serve to wash off the urushiol and prevent that nasty rash from developing.  It’s a handy method when you’re not near a water source to wash off the oil.

 I’ve learned to pay better attention while I garden and walk in the woods. Next time I get the rash, if the baking soda, witch hazel, tea tree oil, oatmeal baths, and Epsom salts don’t work, I’ll try to find some moonshine. If I can’t, I’ll just have to sleep and cry until it goes away!