Information about poison ivy, oak, sumac and the skin rashes they cause
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How to use AITEX skin cleanser for NO more POISON IVY/OAK.
Expert poison ivy spotter, Karin Turer, sent in this monumental fence disaster. Not sure if the poison ivy knocked down the fence, but it has grown into a ming-boggling shrub on this suburban fence.
This is a very common scene in the eastern half of the United States: roadside trees with poison ivy vines climbing up.
Poison ivy grows as a ground vine which will often start climbing up walls and trees, looking for more light.
Here is a cute little rabbit sitting among a bunch of poison ivy plants.
Of course, rabbits don't get a rash from poison ivy, and most reports suggest that NO animal other than humans, does get the rash.
The question is: which of these three leaves IS poison ivy?
They are totally different colors, sizes, shapes, and textures.
Not a hard one, of course: they are all three poison ivy, just at different growth stages.
The first fact about the rash from poison ivy, poison oak, or poison sumac is that it is VERY itchy. For most people it will be the most irritating, itchy experience they have ever had. It makes mosquito bites look like… nothing.
The rash can show up with many different looks, depending on how a person gets the plant oil on them: a few spots, an entire rough area, or the dreaded fluid-filled bubbles. Many say the fluid contains the urushol oil that causes the rash; all medical sources say it does not. The rash almost always shows up the next day, after the actual exposure. It may start with a small reddish area, which grows in size and and redness and in itchiness.
Usually the rash lasts two to three weeks, but this depend on how bad was the exposure, how bad is one’s sensitivity, and if you get treatment from a doctor. Our advice is always this: for a small annoying rash either visit the drug store or just ignore it. But for a big, nasty rash, or one that is near the eyes, you must go to the doctor.
If these few images are not scary enough, visit our Skin Rash Hall of Fame to see more examples, including some horrific life-changing rashes.
