728x90
my iParenting
From Our Sponsors
e-newsletters
Sign up to receive our free weekly e-newsletters

new terms of use
new privacy policy
award-winning products
The iParenting Media Awards program helps parents find the best products for their families.
Home › Articles › Safety › Leaves of Three

Leaves of Three

Dealing with Poison Ivy

By Kelly D. Burgess

Pages:  1  2  3  4  

"There are subtle immune differences in everyone, so as a result, some people may never react to poison plants," says Dr. Mancini. "Some people may be prone, but it may take more than one exposure for them to have a reaction. Since that initial reaction can come up to three weeks after exposure, it's not always easy to pinpoint what the child was doing that exposed him or her to the plant."

Actually, it's not the plant that's the problem, but the poisonous sap, called urushiol, that the plants have in their stems, leaves and roots. When a person comes in contact with the plant, the urushiol gets on their skin and absorbs very quickly. As Dr. Mancini notes, the initial reaction can take a while, but subsequent reactions appear very quickly – usually within 12 to 48 hours.

Dealing With Poison Ivy

Unfortunately, if you don't know you've been exposed, there isn't much you can do to prevent an outbreak once it starts.

"If you are a person who knows you tend to have severe reactions, you can contact your doctor as soon as the first patch appears, explain that this may turn into a problem for you and ask for the oral steroid prednisone," says Dr. Mancini. "But beyond that there's not much you can do."

Dr. Mancini also cautions that steroids are not to be given lightly, especially to children. There are side effects, and it's a treatment that's usually reserved for severe cases. A severe case is when the rash is on the face and eyes or there is extensive involvement over at least 25 percent of the skin surface or a secondary infection.


Pages:  1  2  3  4  


Want to see more?