Mondays and Tuesdays with Poison Ivy

During the summer it’s a Monday – Tuesday kind of thing in the doctor’s office. It’s poison ivy/poison oak dermatitis. This is Dr. Steven Andrew Davis, Speaking of Health. Poison ivy, poison sumac, and poison oak all contain urushiol, a resin which sensitizes the skin. For those who are allergic, it is an unqualified, unrelenting itch which can go on for days and weeks without treatment.

That’s the basic science of poison ivy dermatitis, but folklore and myths abound. For example, you usually do not spread the resin from one part of the body to the other because it is usually gone quickly after exposure. What happens is that the sensitized individual manages to break out all over, even in areas not in contact with the poison ivy itself. That breakout usually starts a day or two after exposure to the plan; so if you get poison ivy or oak over the weekend, you may well need the doctor on Monday or Tuesday.

Can something or someone carry the poison ivy to you? The answer is “yes.” The resin can survive for variable periods of time when it is cool and dry, so it is impossible for the wind to blow it around or for you to obtain it from the coats of pets or even from work clothes.

In terms of treatment, over-the-counter hydrocortisone creams do not typically do much for raging poison ivy contact dermatitis. The dermatologist or family doctor usually must prescribe internal corticosteroids or high-potency topical corticosteroid creams or lotions.

Poison ivy, poison oak: keep an eye out for those plants with three-leaf clusters, and remember: “leaves of three – let them be.” For a copy of this script and journal reference, access our web site, www.speakingofhealth.com. Speaking of Health, I’m Dr. Steven Andrew Davis for CBS News.