Poison Ivy
Alrighty, take a moment to close your eyes (after reading this of course) and imagine yourself walking through the forest. Got your hikin' boots, nice comfy pair of shorts, maybe a back pack on, and some water.
You get about two miles under your feet, and stop to take a break. As your resting, you notice that your leg begins to feel uncontrollably itchy. You can't stop scratching!! Guess what just happened, you probly walked through a patch of poison Ivy, and got the poisonous oils contained in the leaves on your skin.
Poison Ivy is the oil inside of poison ivy plants that leaks out of the leaves and is very stable, and potent when touched. Once it gets on your skin, it is possible for the oils' effects to last for up to three weeks or so. The oil inside the leaves is so strong that if it gets on tools, or clothing, you should highly consider throwing away the item, because there is not much you can do to remove it. Rubbing alcohol helps, but will not remove it completely.
People ask too, how to identify the plant, and really, unless there is a specific type of weed the is general to the area, the leaves come in all different shapes and sizes. Making it nearly impossible to identify the plant. But if you do think you have run into the plant, start warming up. Hot showers, blow dryers, deoderant, or hottest water you can stand soaked around the effected area is some of the best ways to aleviate the pain. If the severety becomes to high, call the doctor, they can prescribe ointments to get rid of the sensations.
Oddly enough though, some people are actually born with a gene that makes them imune to the ivy. Yes, I'm saying that they can pretty much touch any type of poison ivy and have no effects. Another lucky being that is highly imune to the poison is ANY, I repeat, ANY, non-human creature. In fact, goats, cows, and birds eat and graze on it.
The oil inside the plant is called urushiol. The oil is contained in every part of the plant (leaves, roots, stem) The oil is of course allot more potent when the plant has been ripped open, allowing more of it to get on you. So, don't go pulling at the poison ivy plant, because this of course will allow more urushoil to get onto you.
Everywhere in the US and southern Canada, or pretty much just the orange on the map is where the plant grows. The only exeption is most all of the state of California. So, leading to my conclusion, if you don't live in California, I would be cautious in heavily wooded areas. The plant isn't running rapid or anything, but it's there, and should be avoided as much as possible. That is, unless your crazy and you like pain, then have yourself a hayday in it. But count me out. I'll pass on the Ivy rash.
You get about two miles under your feet, and stop to take a break. As your resting, you notice that your leg begins to feel uncontrollably itchy. You can't stop scratching!! Guess what just happened, you probly walked through a patch of poison Ivy, and got the poisonous oils contained in the leaves on your skin.
Poison Ivy is the oil inside of poison ivy plants that leaks out of the leaves and is very stable, and potent when touched. Once it gets on your skin, it is possible for the oils' effects to last for up to three weeks or so. The oil inside the leaves is so strong that if it gets on tools, or clothing, you should highly consider throwing away the item, because there is not much you can do to remove it. Rubbing alcohol helps, but will not remove it completely.
People ask too, how to identify the plant, and really, unless there is a specific type of weed the is general to the area, the leaves come in all different shapes and sizes. Making it nearly impossible to identify the plant. But if you do think you have run into the plant, start warming up. Hot showers, blow dryers, deoderant, or hottest water you can stand soaked around the effected area is some of the best ways to aleviate the pain. If the severety becomes to high, call the doctor, they can prescribe ointments to get rid of the sensations.
Oddly enough though, some people are actually born with a gene that makes them imune to the ivy. Yes, I'm saying that they can pretty much touch any type of poison ivy and have no effects. Another lucky being that is highly imune to the poison is ANY, I repeat, ANY, non-human creature. In fact, goats, cows, and birds eat and graze on it.
The oil inside the plant is called urushiol. The oil is contained in every part of the plant (leaves, roots, stem) The oil is of course allot more potent when the plant has been ripped open, allowing more of it to get on you. So, don't go pulling at the poison ivy plant, because this of course will allow more urushoil to get onto you.
Everywhere in the US and southern Canada, or pretty much just the orange on the map is where the plant grows. The only exeption is most all of the state of California. So, leading to my conclusion, if you don't live in California, I would be cautious in heavily wooded areas. The plant isn't running rapid or anything, but it's there, and should be avoided as much as possible. That is, unless your crazy and you like pain, then have yourself a hayday in it. But count me out. I'll pass on the Ivy rash. SOURCES:
http://www.poison-ivy.org/html/faq.htm
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