We have all been warned about poison ivy, have had it ourselves or know someone who has. It grows primarily in temperate climates in America and Asia. Poison ivy is related to poison oak and poison sumac and you can get symptoms from all three of these plants.

Poison ivy leaves are compound with three leaflets and the stalk of the middle leaflet is much longer than the stalk of two side leaflets. The edges can be smooth or coarsely toothed, surface glassy or dull, has inconspicuous greenish flowers with five petals that are in loose branching arising from leaf axil, and the fruits are in loose drooping clusters and the beery-like fruits contain a single seed that is hard and whitish.

Poison oak grows as a low shrub in the Eastern and Southern U.S. and in tall clump or long vines on the Pacific Coast It has fuzzy green leaves in clusters of three that are lobed or deeply toothed with round tips. It may have yellow-white berries.

Poison sumac is found in the Northeast, Midwest and parts of the Southeast. Its leaves have clusters of seven to 13 smooth-edged leaflets that are orange in spring, green in summer and yellow, orange or red in the fall. It may have yellow-greenish and whitish-green fruits hanging in loose clusters.

Symptoms of poison ivy are redness, itching, swelling, blisters and difficulty breathing if you inhale the smoke from burning poison ivy. The rash appears in a straight line because of the way the plant brushes against the skin. The rash can spread out if the oil (urushiol) gets on clothing or pet fur and you touch those and if oil is on your fingers and you touch other areas of your body. The reaction develops within 12 to 48 hours after exposure and can last two to three weeks. The severity depends on how much oil you got on your skin. You can get poison ivy, oak or sumac by touching any part of the plant, touching any object that has touched the plant or from inhaling the smoke if near burning plants.

There are ways to avoid the rash from poison ivy, oak or sumac. The first is to avoid the plants, learn how to identify them, stay on trails and keep pets from running through wooded areas. The second is to wear protective clothing, pants, socks and long sleeves. Fourth, identify and remove poison ivy, oak and sumac from your yard or garden. You can apply an herbicide or pull them out, including roots, while wearing gloves, long sleeves and pants. Fifth, wash your skin and pet’s fur within 30 minutes after exposure to oil. Make sure to scrub under fingernails. Sixth, clean contaminated objects. Wash your clothes promptly and any outdoor gear, jewelry, shoes and any other object that encountered the oil. Seventh, do not burn poison ivy, oak or sumac as the smoke can irritate or harm your nasal passages and lungs.

The treatments for poison ivy, oak and sumac are usually done at home. The rash will eventually go away on its own, but the itching can make it difficult to sleep and be hard to deal with. You can apply over-the-counter cortisone cream for the first few days. After that you can use calamine lotion or other creams containing menthol. Take an oral antihistamine and soak the area in a cool-water bath that has half a cup of baking soda or an oatmeal-based product. If you develop blisters, do not scratch as this can cause an infection. You should see a doctor if the reaction is severe or widespread, your skin continues to swell, a rash affects your eyes, mouth or genitals, blisters ooze pus, you develop a fever over 100 degrees, the rash doesn’t get better within a few weeks, or you have difficulty breathing.

Just remember the saying “leaves of three, let it be.”

Candice Hutchins is an RN at the Health West Pediatrics clinic. She has been a nurse for 17 years with most of her experience in postpartum and well-baby nursery.