POISON OAK
WHAT IS POISON OAK DERMATITIS?
Poison oak is an allergic reaction of the skin caused by contact with oil of the plant Toxiodendron diversilobum. The plant is very common west of the Rocky Mountains; the sister plant east of the Rocky Mountains is poison ivy.
WHO IS LIKELY TO GET AN ALLERGIC REACTION TO POISON OAK?
Who knows? Some people can handle the plant with impunity, whereas others react violently to the slightest contact. Severity of reaction commonly increases with each successive contact.
WHAT ARE THE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS?
Most people develop the first signs of poison oak with a few hours to as much as 72 hours after contact. New areas may even erupt during the following several days. Redness and swelling occur. Blisters appear, commonly in linear streaks. Later, crusting and scaling develop. Much swelling may occur where the skin is loose, such as about the eyes. Itching can be intense. The dermatitis generally lasts from 1 to 3 weeks.
IS POISON OAK CONTAGIOUS?
No, however, the oil can be transmitted by the fingers and under the fingernails to other parts of the body, especially the forearms and genitalia. Oil can remain under the fingernails until removed by thorough cleansing. Dogs or cats that have been in poison oak can carry the oil on their fur and can transmit the oil to furniture, skin, or clothing. Clothing can carry the oil until it is laundered.
CAN ONE GET POISON OAK FROM THE SMOKE OF BURNING PLANTS?
Yes, because particles of the plant and oil are carried in the smoke.
IS THERE DANGER OF COMPLICATIONS OR PERMANENT AFTER EFFECTS?
Rarely, but talk to your instructor. Severe poison oak can cause one to have a fever and feel generally ill. Scarring is rare.
WHAT IS THE TREATMENT?
Ice cold wet compresses and soothing lotions (calamine) may provide relief. Internal medications or injections may be necessary if the dermatitis is severe or there is an infection. Sweating aggravates the condition. Avoid rubbing or scratching the affected skin.
CAN ONE PREVENT POISON OAK?
The best preventative is to avoid the plant - its leaves, its branches, and its roots. Even the dirt under the plant may contain the oil. Gentle scrubbing of the affected area with mild soap is helpful is used within minutes of contact. Repeated attacks do not insure immunity.
HOW DOES ONE RECOGNIZE THE PLANT?
In spring and summer its leaves are shiny green and grouped in threes. "Leaflets three, leave it be!" Little green berries are among the leaves. The leaves turn yellow and red in the fall, and the berries are pale yellow. In the winter only the stalks and branches of the plant are extant, and even oil from these is virulent. The plant may grow as small, isolated shrubs, to great thickets, and in vines that wrap upward and around adjacent trees and shrubs.