Welcome to brain Stuff, a production of iHeartRadio, Hey brain Stuff Lauren Vogelbon here. Every year, somewhere from ten to fifty million Americans experience an allergic reaction to poison ivy, the plant, not the Batman character named after it. The plant is often difficult to spot because it closely resembles common garden plants and other weeds both here and wherever it grows. But if you come into contact with it, you'll probably know because an itchy, blistery rash is likely
to form on your skin. There are a few different species of poison ivy in the genus Toxicodendron. They occur in ranges from Canada down through Central America, in parts of the Caribbean, and in parts of East Asia. The culprit behind the rash is an allergic reaction with a compound that occurs in the sap of the plant called arustial Ivy is in the sumac family and a cardiassia and arushiol is, the same compound responsible for the rashes some people get from other plants in the family, like
poison sumac, poison oak, mango skin, and cashew fruit. The name erusiol comes from the Japanese word urushi referring to lacquer or the lacquer tree, because in East Asia, a type of tree in the same genus as poison ivy has sap, containing the same allergen that has been carefully
processed to create beautiful lacquerware for thousands of years. But aside from mango, cashew, and urushi, and many plants that contain erushiol are considered pests because about eighty five percent of people are allergic to the compound, and only a tiny amount a one billionth of a gram is enough
to cause a rash in many people. Sometimes the allergy doesn't emerge until you've been exposed several times, though some people develop a rash after their very first contact, and it can take anywhere from a few hours to up to ten days for the rash to emerge. The poison ivy rash often looks like red lines and sometimes causes blisters. Many people get it when they're hiking in the woods or working in their garden and accidentally come into direct
contact with the plants leaves, roots, or stems. Because urushiol is found in all parts of the poison ivy plant, it's best to avoid the plant entirely when you can. It generally grows in a cluster of low weed like plants or a woody vine that can climb trees or fences, and is most often found in moist areas like riverbanks, woods and pastures. The general rule to identify poison ivy
is leaves of three. Let it be because it usually grows in groups of three oval leaves with a longer middle leaf, but it can also grow with up to nine leaves in a group. The edges of the leaves can be smooth or have tiny teeth. Their color changes based on the season, reddish in the spring, green in the summer, and yellow orange or red in the fall. It blooms with yellow green flowers around early summer, and its small berries are typically white. A note that different
varieties and other plants containing rouchiol look different. It's always a good idea to do a quick search on hazardous plants in your area before going hiking or cleaning out overgrowth in your yard. A note that I said hazardous there instead of poisonous, because despite poison ivy's name, the rash it causes is again an allergic reaction. Allergies are what happens when your immune system overreacts to the presence of an essentially harmless substance like flower pollen or cat'sliva,
which they transfer to their dander via washing. Okay, the body's immune system is in the business of protecting us from antigens like bacteria, viruses, and other foreign invaders that can make us sick. But when allergens like eruchiol coming contact with us through our skin or maybe im mucous membrane, they also instigate an immune response. Here's how the poison ivy response works. Eruchiol makes its way down through the skin, where it's metabolized or broken down. Immune cells called T
cells recognize the derivatives as an antigen. They send out inflammatory signals called cytokines, which bring in white blood cells. Under orders from the cytokines, these white blood cells turn into macrophages. The macrophages eat foreign substances, but in doing so they also damage normal tissue. So in places where your skin has come into contact with poison ivy, within one to two days, you might develop a rash, which
will usually itch, reden, burn, swell, and form blisters. The rash may appear sooner in some parts of the body than others, but that doesn't mean it's spreading. The eruchiol just absorbs into the skin at different rates. For example, think of how the soles of your feet have thicker skin than your arms. The rash should go away within a week or so. The severity often has to do
with how much erutiol you've been exposed to. Definitely seek emergency medical help right away if you have signs of a severe allergic reaction like difficulty breathing, dizziness or weakness, or bluish lips, but also contact a medical professional if the rash pops up in sensitive areas like the eyes, mouth, they're genitals. If it doesn't heal after two weeks, or if you have signs of an infection like puffs around the rash or a fever over one hundred degrees fahrenheit
or a thirty seven to seven celsius. The quicker you treat a brush with poison IVY, the greater the odds that you can remove at least some of the erutiol before it gets into your skin, thus possibly warding off a reaction. As soon as you notice that you've touched or possibly touched poison ivy or related plants, Rinse off your skin immediately with water. Rinsing within the first five
minutes of contact is most effective. Then as soon as you can remove all clothes that have come in contact with the plant and wash your skin with soap and cool water. Then, using a preferably disposable item like a cotton ball, cleanse the affected areas of your skin with isoproble alcohol aka rubbing alcohol. You'll want to wash those clothes and any wash cloths or tells you use with
soap and water before using them again. When the rash appears, you'll most likely be very itchy, but try not to scratch. Although breaking the blisters by scratching cannot spread the rash, bacteria can get in through the broken skin and cause an infection. Along those lines, remember that a poison ivy rash is not contagious. By the time a rash has formed, the your shiol that caused it is long gone from your skin. To ease the discomfort, you can use wet
compresses or soak the affected areas in cool water. You can also apply a topical corticosteroid or take an over the counter any histamine like Benadrell prescription cordzone can stop the reaction, but only if it's taken soon after exposure. Other topical products that can soothe itching are calamine lotion, zinc oxide ointment, baking soda paste made of three teaspoons baking soda and one teaspoon water, or an oatmeal bath.
Even if you're looking out for it, poison ivy can be difficult to avoid even if you don't directly brush up against the plant. You can get it from touching a garden tool, a toy or sports equipment that's touched the plant anytime in the past few years, or even from a pet that's brushed up against one. Dogs and cats don't have the same sensitivity to erusiol, so if they've been outside, especially on supervised, you might not realize
that they're carrying it until you develop a rash. Some creams containing the ingredient bentoquatum can block erushiol and offer some part before poison ivy exposure, but still your best defense is to stay away when you can and get rid of it in your yard. But it's also not an easy foe to clear. A weed killer isn't the best option for the environment or other plants around the poison ivy. If you remove it by hand, be sure to pull the whole plant out by the roots or
it'll regrow. Remove any dead poison ivy as well. Again. Eruchiol can linger for several years. Wear a long sleeved shirt, long pants, gloves, and boots to avoid any contact with your skin. Immediately remove your clothes after you finish and wash them with soap and water, and take a shower for good measure. Never burn poison ivy plants. The eruchiol vaporizes when heated, and when it gets into the smoke it can severely irritate the lungs if breathed in. Also,
never eat poison ivy. There's a myth out there that doing so can make you immune to rashes in the future, but a that does not work and be you could cause a potentially fatal allergic reaction. Getting outside into nature is great, but nature is weird. Be careful out there. Today's episode is based on the article how poisonivy works on how Stiff works dot com, written by Stephanie Wilson. Brain Stuff is production of iHeartRadio in partnership with Hosseifforks
dot Com and is produced by Tyler Klang. Four more podcasts My heart Radio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.