View Full Version : Poison Ivy Getting Stonger
Chair-man
06-11-2015, 10:39
CBS News did a segment/article here on poison ivy getting stronger. (http://www.cbsnews.com/news/poison-ivy-poison-oak-becoming-stronger-over-time/)
According to the article, you do not develop immunity to poison ivy over time but become more likely to get it the more you've been exposed to it which I wasn't aware of.
The article also mentions Ivy Block to prevent poison ivy which has some pretty good reviews here. (http://www.amazon.com/Ivyblock-Lotion-4-oz/product-reviews/B0000Y3C9M) Anyone ever use it?
I had poison sumac in a really bad way when I was younger. I don't need that again.
Pedaling Fool
06-11-2015, 11:02
Well then you all better get immuned to the stuff:)
It's a common misconception that the chemical in poison ivy is part of the plant's defensive system. Also humans seem to think this is an evil plant, but to use a term from Dogwood, that's just flawed human-centric thought.
Actually, it's a very good food source for many animals and it's really only the humans (some humans) that don't respond well to it; it probably has to do with us being invasive species or something :banana
Here's an interesting link, I've also read that the "active" ingredient is believed to be used by the plant simply for water retention, but it's an open question...
Excerpt:
"
So what's going on here? Why is it that humans react to poison ivy in ways that other animals do not?
One explanation is that poison ivy produces urushiol. Urushiol is a mixture of phenolic compounds and is the substance that is responsible for our reaction to the plant. The production of urushiol by the plant though is thought to provide a protective benefit to the plant: they are less likely to get eaten and are therefore more likely to survive to reproduce than their competitors.
But since grazing animals like deer have no ill effects from feasting on poison ivy, this explanation doesn't make much sense. Maybe the urushiol gives some other benefit to the plant itself or maybe just has no benefit to the plant at all. The evolution of the poison in poison ivy remains an open question.
The interesting thing though is that technically, urushiol is not a poison at all! It does no damage of its own to tissues. In fact, the red, painful, oozing rash that can result from exposure to urushiol is merely the result of an allergic reaction. It is our OWN bodies that are doing that to us, not the plant."
- See more at: http://www.explorecuriocity.org/content.aspx?contentid=196#sthash.ji08hOw3.dpuf
Picking up on what PF said do you know during Victorian times when high society types found it fashionable to have the latest greatest most unique one of a kind gardens and plant collections poison ivy and sumac were actually advertised and sold extoling the virtues of these plants? From one old noteworthy botanist and horticultural supplier ad I read: Rhus radicans(later to be renamed Rhus toxicodendron or Toxicodendron radicans): for sale, unique fast growing vine, orange-reddish fall color, purple to black fruit(drupes), food for wildlife, pest and disease free -
Poison ivy is getting stronger in Urushiol due to global warming. PF will tell you that too.
Pedaling Fool
06-11-2015, 11:41
Poison ivy is getting stronger in Urushiol due to global warming. PF will tell you that too.What are doing Dogwood -- trying to be me banned again :D
I read that in the OP's link, but I'm not allowed to talk about that stuff on here.
Keep your Dogs and Deniers leashed and keep 'em off the grass:)
rocketsocks
06-11-2015, 11:55
CBS News did a segment/article here on poison ivy getting stronger. (http://www.cbsnews.com/news/poison-ivy-poison-oak-becoming-stronger-over-time/)
According to the article, you do not develop immunity to poison ivy over time but become more likely to get it the more you've been exposed to it which I wasn't aware of.
The article also mentions Ivy Block to prevent poison ivy which has some pretty good reviews here. (http://www.amazon.com/Ivyblock-Lotion-4-oz/product-reviews/B0000Y3C9M) Anyone ever use it?
I had poison sumac in a really bad way when I was younger. I don't need that again.I don't seem to get it anymore, having got it almost every summer as a kid. I've often wondered if this developed immunity is for real...or if it's more a matter of, I now know what it looks like and avoid it....hmm.
rocketsocks
06-11-2015, 11:57
Oops, forgot
My wife uses the "ivy block" and it works good for her...again I don't weed near the stuff, so I don't need the block. ;)
Odd Man Out
06-11-2015, 11:59
I wonder if maybe increased sensitivity is due to weakened immune systems due to living in excessively clean enviroents? The rash is an immune response.
rocketsocks
06-11-2015, 12:03
Picking up on what PF said do you know during Victorian times when high society types found it fashionable to have the latest greatest most unique one of a kind gardens and plant collections poison ivy and sumac were actually advertised and sold extoling the virtues of these plants? From one old noteworthy botanist and horticultural supplier ad I read: Rhus radicans(later to be renamed Rhus toxicodendron or Toxicodendron radicans): for sale, unique fast growing vine, orange-reddish fall color, purple to black fruit(drupes), food for wildlife, pest and disease free -I'm very surprised to hear this as science/chemists surely understood alkaloids by the Victorian era. Not discounting, just perplexed, perhaps a market ploy by one of the more unscrupulous kind.
Slo-go'en
06-11-2015, 12:21
I wonder if maybe increased sensitivity is due to weakened immune systems due to living in excessively clean environments? The rash is an immune response.
That would be my guess. Especially kids who live in a sterile environment and rarely even see sun shine and heaven forbid they play in dirt!
Traveler
06-11-2015, 12:49
That would be my guess. Especially kids who live in a sterile environment and rarely even see sun shine and heaven forbid they play in dirt!
As I understand it, poison ivy is a cumulative exposure issue. You can have a high resistance to it as a child but by late adult life you don't have any left. Sometimes its just the luck of the day that you don't brush into it or something that has brushes into you.
Poison ivy and most all vine type plants are indeed getting stronger and growing faster due to the elevated co2 in the atmosphere, making them tougher and more potent. It seems to show up in my yard routinely now when 20 years ago it was quite rare.
LOL. That was good. I expect no less from you. I knew I'd get some ahem constructive feedback from you. :D
As an aside to the discussion:
If you get Poison Ivy, Zanfel is great for relieving it. Follow the directions to a "T" and it works wonderfully fast. It was recommended to me by a Thru Hiking Emergency Department Doc when I was exposed to it in PA back in 2006. I keep a tube handy now. It's expensive, but less so than going to a clinic.
Slo-go'en
06-11-2015, 19:37
Some day I'll have to touch some poison ivy on purpose and see if I have a reaction or not. I don't know if I've been really lucky avoiding it all these years or if I'm immune.
somers515
06-11-2015, 19:50
I'm super allergic to poison ivy and often have had it so bad that I've had to receive medical attention as a result. Every doctor has told me that generally speaking the more you get exposed to it the worse the reaction. So you don't develop immunity from contact - just the opposite. Actually by avoiding it for years will help you. Also of course the more urushiol you get on you the worse the reaction - again all things being equal. Finally while it will normally appear where you had contact those that are super allergic like me will have it travel through our bloodstream to other parts of our body too. I'm not a doctor, just passing along what I heard.
For years I had trouble identifying poison ivy but I recently found this video very helpful in learning how to identify poison ivy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVR_PxFPKbQ
This video is helpful in teaching you the keys of how to avoid getting a reaction even if you come into contact with poison ivy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4oyoDRHpQK0
Think you mastered what poison ivy looks like - take this test!
http://birdandmoon.com/poisonivy/
Water Rat
06-11-2015, 20:13
Thanks for this interesting thread - it actually clears up some of my questions. When I was a kid, I was allergic to darn near everything...except poison ivy. I can't tell you how many times my mom would find me playing in the stuff (I was a kid...I didn't know better! :D ).
I have found myself noticing the poison ivy more in the past few years and am not really interested in finding out if I have a reaction (though, close to home would be a better place to find out). In case I should ever have a reaction, I was wondering if Ivy Block can be found in a regular pharmacy or would I need a prescription. It sounds like it is over the counter, but wanted to make sure.
And, if I am hearing this right, the Zanfel Lyle mentioned is a prescription? In the event of poison ivy reaction I want to make sure I know what meds to get and where to find them.
This very topic has been on my mind to research, but I just hadn't gotten around to it. Thanks!
ChrisJackson
06-11-2015, 20:26
I'm super allergic to poison ivy and often have had it so bad that I've had to receive medical attention as a result. Every doctor has told me that generally speaking the more you get exposed to it the worse the reaction. So you don't develop immunity from contact - just the opposite. Actually by avoiding it for years will help you. Also of course the more urushiol you get on you the worse the reaction - again all things being equal. Finally while it will normally appear where you had contact those that are super allergic like me will have it travel through our bloodstream to other parts of our body too. I'm not a doctor, just passing along what I heard.
For years I had trouble identifying poison ivy but I recently found this video very helpful in learning how to identify poison ivy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVR_PxFPKbQ
This video is helpful in teaching you the keys of how to avoid getting a reaction even if you come into contact with poison ivy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4oyoDRHpQK0
Think you mastered what poison ivy looks like - take this test!
http://birdandmoon.com/poisonivy/
47/55. Not as good as I thought! Thanks for sharing those vids.
MuddyWaters
06-11-2015, 20:37
One time I was deer hunting in a remote area I had to hike into
I set up a climbing tree stand, around a tree with a poision ivy vine around 1.5-2" diameter. The big hairy ones.
When I got to the height I wanted, the stand wouldnt sit right and level because of the vine, so I had to work to move it so I could still be pointing in the desired direction.
Short and sweet, I got lots of stuff on my hands.
Never had poision Ivy in my life, always figured I was just not sensitive.
Later that day , I had to pee as well.
You can guess the outcome
The swelling was kind of cool, it was the itchiness that bothered me.
Still the only spot on my body that showed any reaction.
And, if I am hearing this right, the Zanfel Lyle mentioned is a prescription? In the event of poison ivy reaction I want to make sure I know what meds to get and where to find them.
This very topic has been on my mind to research, but I just hadn't gotten around to it. Thanks!
Nope, Zanfel is over the counter. Costs about $40/ one oz tube in a pharmacy, but can get it for substantially less online.
Have read about "Mean Green" recently. Supposed to be very similar to Zanfel, but sold as a hand cleaner, so much larger quantity for lower price. Supposed to work almost as well as Zanfel, but I have never tried it - I may the next time I need some.
http://www.amazon.com/Mean-Green-Power-Hand-Scrub/dp/B00CZIG28Y/ref=pd_sim_121_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=150MATY77KE57QE7YN6Y
Water Rat
06-11-2015, 21:04
Nope, Zanfel is over the counter. Costs about $40/ one oz tube in a pharmacy, but can get it for substantially less online.
Have read about "Mean Green" recently. Supposed to be very similar to Zanfel, but sold as a hand cleaner, so much larger quantity for lower price. Supposed to work almost as well as Zanfel, but I have never tried it - I may the next time I need some.
http://www.amazon.com/Mean-Green-Power-Hand-Scrub/dp/B00CZIG28Y/ref=pd_sim_121_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=150MATY77KE57QE7YN6Y
Awesome - Thanks for the answer!
rockyiss
06-11-2015, 21:45
The reaction to poison ivy is an immune response, as a kid your immune system is stronger so you seem to get it worse. As you age your immune system gets weaker so you don't have as strong a reaction to it. That's why people seem to build an immunity to it as they get older. That's why older people get cancer more , lousy immune systems.
At least that is what I have read
rocketsocks
06-11-2015, 21:50
...and I think my wife got the "ivy block" lotion from the pharmacy, but I'm not home now to ask her.
Odd Man Out
06-11-2015, 23:23
I've had pretty good luck with Ivy Dry. But mostly, you itch and wait for it to go away. If really bad, go to the Dr. Last time I went to the Dr., they refused to believe my rash was due to poison ivy. But I knew for a fact it was and had to convince them that my severe responses don't look like a typical poison ivy rash.
imscotty
06-12-2015, 00:03
I am blessed to be immune to Poison Ivy, I actually weed the stuff by hand. Never a problem. My kids seem pretty immune too, so maybe it is hereditary. I've had people go apoplectic on me, 'Don't you know you are standing in Poison Ivy?! I know, and I don't care.
Yes, I know they say this can change in an instant, but until then I am going to revel in my 'Superpowers.' :)
imscotty
06-12-2015, 00:06
The swelling was kind of cool, it was the itchiness that bothered me.
@Muddy Waters, you sure know how to impress the ladies :)