Poison Ivy and This West Virginia Girl

    I had to eat crow this weekend. Pretty much of it too. Ok, Jessica got poison ivy!

    I have this theory, well, to be more specific, a belief system that you get what you are afraid of. I still am not afraid of poison ivy ( or poison oak, or poison sumac whatever). I've had plenty of time acquainting myself with it , wallowed in it as a little girl, weeded it out as a big girl and have assumed the job of tree stripping as mine...because I just don't get it. And if I do it's just a little speckle or two.


   I thought I would do some research to dispel anything like: well you must have poison oak then! People are convinced that if it's really bad it must be Poison oak...or worse, poison sumac (rolls eyes). Once again I attempt to discuss a subject that I am not an authority on. But in my minute research I found that poison oak IS all over America; stuck my foot in my mouth plenty for declaring it foreign to this side of the Rockies. And poison sumac, while it is a dermatitis contactus badus thing it doesn't grow around here, OK? But, if you have seen it around the Ohio Valley area, I stand corrected.

  I have a new sense pity now for sufferers. My mother-in-law is tormented, and even claims to have contracted it from the kids being outside at her house, probably not, but who knows. There's a legend in my family that my pap ate the berries, swelled up so bad, and nearly died. But he never got it again, he also wasn't afraid of it. Plenty of times I witnessed him yanking it down and...gasp...burning it. So that is another way you can almost die from this stuff.

The swelling is down a lot today-I wish I was brave enough for a photo yesterday!

This picture to show the texture of the skin, leathery and thick.

Pictures just don't do the justice, but puffy, fat, itchy, prickly describe it too!

    I used calamine lotion before on Nathanial and it didn't seem to work very well. I tried tea tree oil on him, lavender oil, and allergy medication. They all seemed about the same. My sister just told me about a paste of vinegar and baking soda ( add that to your million uses for baking soda and vinegar) and that really seemed to  give more relief. But I didn't use that on my eyes, cold wash clothes and a salve that had a little peppermint seemed to cool it down ok. My arms seem worse today but the swelling is down in my eyes. I wore sunglasses yesterday, Bryon needed me to go to town with him, and I just didn't want to freak people out.

    I guess I just don't like people being afraid of things, yes, it can be horrible for some but maybe you might be one of those 25% who don't get it at all. It doesn't keep my kids out of the woods, Nathanial usually spends the summer scratching. but he is less affected (and no less involved) each year. I do wonder why I got it, of course I know how, but, really I've never had it this bad before. Probably all the bragging I did about not being afraid.

Difference between Poison Ivy and Poison Oak

Plant

Both of them belong to the same family and same genus differing in the species. The poison oak leaves resemble the leaves of oak tree and hence the name.

Appearance

Three leaflets, hairy surface, white berries are characteristics of poison ivy. Poison oak leaves are similar but resemble oak tree leaves.

Vegetation

The poison ivy grows as bush, shrub or vine whereas poison oak grows as a shrub in most cases although a few vine forms are prevalent.

Prevalence

Poison ivy plants are common in the western half of US. Poison oak is found in the eastern side particularly along the coast of Mississippi.

Treatment

The first aid for all rashes is same. For the rashes by poison ivy and poison oak, further treatment is done with calamine lotion and prednisone.

Nature

Both are not contagious if the urushiol oil is not spread by chance. Infections can rarely result from itching

Read more: http://www.differencebetween.com/difference-between-poison-ivy-and-poison-oak/#ixzz1cTelB2oH