Poison Ivy, Oak, and Sumac FactSheet

HS04-064B(3-07)

Employers and employees should take precautions when working in and around wooded areas and in heavy foliage, because they may come in contact with poison Myth Fact ivy, oak or sumac. Approximately 90 percent of Ameri- Rubbing the rash won’t spread cans are allergic to these plants that cause a bothersome poison ivy to other parts of your rash and intense itching. body (or to another person). You Poison Ivy rash is Touching the stems, roots, or leaves of these plants re- spread the rash only if urushiol sults in direct contact of skin with urushiol (pronounced contagious. oil - the sticky, resin like oo-roo-shee-ohl) oil, substance that causes the rash - which causes the itching. has been left on your hands. The cause of the rash, blisters, and infamous itch Direct contact with the plants is from the exposure to is needed to release urushiol urushiol, a chemical in the You can catch oil. Stay away from forest fires, sap of poison ivy, oak and poison ivy simply direct burning, and lawnmowers sumac plants. Because by being near the and trimmers when they are urushiol is inside the plants. being used because they can plant, brushing against an Poison Ivy cause the urushiol oil to become intact plant will not cause airborne. a reaction. But undamaged plants are rare. Urushiol can Poison sumac has 7 to 13 leaves stick to tools, shoes, clothes, or anything. Just touching Leaves of three, on a branch, although poison them could cause a reaction in a susceptible person. let them be. ivy and oak have 3 leaves per Sensitivity to urushiol can develop at any time. cluster. Almost all parts of the body are vulnerable to the sticky Urushiol oil stays active on any urushiol. Urushiol must penetrate the skin to cause a Do not worry surface, including dead plants, reaction. Places where the skin is thick, such as the soles about dead plants. for up to 5 years. of the feet and the palms of the hands, are less sensitive Not true. However wounds can to the sap than areas where the skin is thinner. Breaking the become infected and make the blisters releases scarring worse. In very extreme Urushiol Oil is Potent urushiol oil that cases, excessive fluid may need Urushiol oil is potent and it only takes a small amount can spread. to cause an allergic reaction. to be withdrawn by a doctor. Not necessarily true. The more • Only 1 nanogram (billionth of a gram) is needed to times a person is exposed to cause a rash. I’ve been in urushiol, the more likely they poison ivy many • The average person is exposed to 100 nanograms per will break out with an allergic times and never exposure. reaction. For the first time broken out. I’m • 1/4 ounce of urushiol is all that is needed to cause a sufferer, it generally takes immune. rash in every person on earth. longer for the rash to show up - • 500 people could itch from the amount covering the generally in 7 to 10 days. head of a pin. • Specimens of urushiol several centuries old have been found to cause dermatitis in sensitive people. Quick Action Needed Because urushiol can penetrate the skin within min- • 1 to 5 years is normal for urushiol oil to stay active on utes, do not waste time if exposed. The faster the vic- any surface including dead plants. tim’s skin is cleansed, the greater the chance of removing • The name urushiol is derived from urushi, Japanese name for lacquer. the urushiol before it gets attached to the skin. Cleansing The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also may not stop the initial outbreak of the rash if more than considers over-the-counter topical corticosteroids (com- 10 minutes has passed, but it can help prevent further monly called hydrocortisones) are normally safe and spread. effective for temporary relief of itching associated with If exposed to poison ivy, oak or sumac, if possible, poison ivy. stay indoors until the following steps are completed: For severe cases, prescription topical cor- 1. Cleanse exposed skin with generous amounts of ticosteroid drugs can halt isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol. (Don’t return to the the reaction, but only if woods or yard the same day. Alcohol removes your treatment begins within skin’s protection along with the urushiol and any new a few hours of exposure. contact will cause the urushiol to penetrate twice as The American Academy of fast.) Dermatology recommends 2. Wash exposed skin with water. (Water temperature that people who have had does not matter; if you’re outside, its likely only cold severe reactions in the past water will be available.) should contact a derma- 3. Take a shower with soap and warm water. Do not use tologist as soon as possible Poison Oak soap before this point because soap tends to pick up after a new exposure. some of the urushiol from the surface of the skin and There are a number of over the counter products to move it around. help dry up oozing blisters, including: 4. Clothes, shoes, tools, and anything else that may have • aluminum acetate (Burrows solution); been in contact with the urushiol should be wiped off • baking soda; with alcohol and water. • Aveeno (oatmeal bath); Wear gloves or cover hands while completing the • aluminum hydroxide gel; steps and then discard the hand covering. • calamine; • kaolin; Dealing with the Rash • zinc acetate; If the victim doesn’t cleanse quickly enough, or the • zinc carbonate; and skin is so sensitive that cleansing didn’t help, redness • zinc oxide. and swelling may appear in about 12 to 48 hours. Blis- Desensitization, vaccines, and barrier creams have ters and itching will follow. For those rare people who been studied over the last several decades for their poten- react after their very first exposure, the rash appears after tial to protect against poison ivy reactions, but none have 7 to 10 days. Because they don’t contain urushiol, the been approved by the FDA for this purpose. oozing blisters are not contagious nor can the fluid cause further spread on the affected person’s body. Neverthe- For the Rash: less, scratching the blisters with the fingernails that may Hydrocortisone creams or sprays reduce the inflam- carry germs could cause an infection. mation, swelling, and itching of poison ivy rashes. They The rash will only occur where urushiol has touched should be used four times a day for best effect. Lotions the skin; it doesn’t spread throughout the body. However, containing calamine, zinc acetate, and alcohol dry the the rash may seem to spread if it appears over time in- blistered rash quickly and can speed healing. stead of all at once. This is either because the urushiol is A rash can last 1-4 weeks. Treatment is directed at absorbed at different rates in different parts of the body the intense itching, and shrinking the rash. Treating the or because of repeated exposure to contaminated objects itching is especially important, since scratching can lead or urushiol trapped under the fingernails. to skin infection. The rash, blisters and itch normally disappear in 14 to Antihistamines are available as topical (cream, lotion, 20 days without any treatment. But few can handle the or spray) or oral. The oral forms are probably more ef- itch without some relief. For mild cases, wet compresses, fective, but can cause drowsiness. Topical antihistamines or soaking in cool water may be effective. Oral antihista- are less effective and can cause a rash of their own in mines can also relieve itching. some people. Drying agents like calamine or other lotions are very Treat the stump with glypho- soothing and speed healing of the rash. Menthol, benzo- sate (according to label di- caine, and pramoxine are topical anesthetics to “numb” rections) immediately after the itchy rash. They work well, but they must be applied cutting to kill the roots and often. Cool soaks in baking soda, commercial oatmeal, prevent sprouting. If resprout- or colloidal baths for 15-30 minutes can relieve itching ing does occur, treat the leaves for several hours at a time. with glyphosate. Poison ivy, oak, and sumac Signs of an Emergency can be very persistent, so vines About 15 percent of the 120 million Americans who may have to be sprayed two are allergic to poison ivy, oak, and sumac are so highly or more times for complete sensitive to the plants that they break out in a rash and control. Poison ivy, oak, and Poison Sumac begin to swell in 4 to 12 hours instead of the normal 24 sumac can spread along fence to 48. Their eyes may swell shut and blisters may erupt or hedge rows and under trees by birds dispersing the on their skin. This is an emergency. Call EMS or 911 seeds. Treating young seedlings with glyphosate will kill and get them to a hospital as soon as possible. them and limit the spread of the plant(s). It is recommended that when working in wooden Controlling Poison Ivy, areas and in heavy foliage, that workers wear long pants, long sleeves, boots, and plastic under cotton gloves for Oak and Sumac protection. Poison ivy, oak, and sumac control, can be done at Remember to practice safety, don’t learn it by acci- any time of the year, but is best achieved May through dent. July while the plants are flowering. Poison ivy, oak, and sumac should be accurately identified before attempt- This fact sheet was published with information from ing any control measures. Spraying is recommended the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the Poison Ivy over burning because poison ivy oil vaporizes when hot, Information Center, the Missouri Department of Conser- carries in smoke and can cause an allergic reaction and a vation and the Texas Department of Insurance, Division severe rash. of Workers’ Compensation. Poison ivy, oak, and sumac foliage within reach can be sprayed with glyphosate (sold under the trade names Roundup, Kleenup and others) according to label direc- tions. When using this or any herbicide, always read and follow label directions carefully. Take care to avoid other plants and do not spray so heavily that the herbicide drips off the leaves. Glyphosate is a nonselective herbi- cide and will kill any vegetation it contacts. To kill poison ivy, oak, and sumac that climb high into trees, cut the vine off 6 inches above ground level.

The Texas Department of Insurance, Safety Violations Hotline Division of Workers’ Compensation (TDI/DWC) 1-800-452-9595 E-mail [email protected] or call 1-800-687-7080 for more information. [email protected]