Poison Oak Ivy

Some people call poison ivy poison oak ivy. However, there are difference between oak and ivy. The poison ivy is mostly located at the eastern part of the Rocky Mountains while poison oaks are common in the west of the Rockies. The poison ivy plant may grow as a ground cover, shrub or vine. On the other hand, the poison oak is generally a small shrub, sometimes a climbing vine. Further, the leaves of the ivies have either notched or smooth edges and have a grouping of three almond shaped leaflets. The poison oak leaves have smooth edges and they are clustered in groups of three, five, and seven.

Anyway, those are the only basic differences they have. To give a brief discussion about the two, let us mix their names to poison oak ivy. The two have same qualities after all. Poison oak ivy are not so loved plants by people. They are actually considered weeds. They may be presenting as attractive and safe plants but once they got you, you are down to hell burning with itch and pain. Poison oak ivy has a very special oil in all of its parts; it is called urushiol. It is a colorless oil. It is what makes the leaves look shiny and smooth to touch. The oil is the dark shadow behind the beauty of the poison oak ivy. Once touched by the skin, the skin absorbs it and spreads internally throughout the body. The sufferer may experience symptoms like curved or linear redness and painfully itchy burning rashes, and blisters. This condition will last up to three weeks before it is finally replaced with a healthy skin. There are home or natural remedies and medications which can be used and applied to soothe and relieve the discomfort. Home remedies may include the use of water, salt, soap, vinegar, baking soda, or oatmeal. Natural remedies offer use of plants like aloe vera and jewelweed. Medications include oral antihistamines and topical steroid containing agents. There are times antibiotic agents are also prescribed. This is especially when the blisters are scratched and manually broken leading to infection. These treatment modes also help in shortening the duration of the healing process.

The best way to treat poison oak ivy rashes is to prevent it. That is why many people do not like the plants. Cleaning up the plants is a great idea. However, just be sure that you wear protective gears before handling them. Avoiding touching the plants is also a very excellent idea. This is why there are lots of articles describing and discussing the plants to give information for everybody. We all need to be equipped with the knowledge about how the plants look like and how to handle them. This is better because we do not know if we or our companions are extra sensitive and allergic to such plants. It will be very dangerous because the reaction can lead to swelling face, eyes, or throat, high fever, difficulty of breathing, and even death (if not prompted immediately).