Poison Ivy is the real devil’s lettuce
Perspectives
Hello fellow readers. Last week we discussed my misfortune with poison ivy and told you that there would be more to discuss. Today we dig deeper into the misunderstandings of the allergenic effects of poison ivy.
The rash itself doesn’t spread to new parts of your body, rather the areas that got exposed will react at different times, with different severities. Itching is discouraged, not because of the spreading of the affliction, but because you’ll keep itching until you have open sores, risking infection.
The issue is that it is the most satisfying itch you’ll ever have. You’ll melt into butter, it will be so good. That is until five minutes later when the skin swells and starts to burn and itch, again.
As bad as this all sounds, not everyone suffers the same or have the same levels of allergic reaction. Roughly 15% of the American population can withstand poison ivy. Some suffer a reaction like me, where it only reacts where it was in contact with the plant/oil. And others can get just a small exposure and their whole body will react.
What’s more, you can have a stronger tolerance to poison ivy, even full resistance when you are younger, but as you age the resistance disappears. This certainly could be my case that I have marched through it and just never got it because my body could withstand it when I was younger. Speaking of time, once you get the first reaction you’ll always be susceptible, and most likely even more reactive. Once your body fights the ivy it will remember it, and when it sees it again your body will quickly attack it, which increases healing time, but intensifies the pain and suffering. Sadly, you cannot build tolerance to it.
Recently, I was on Washington Island in Door County, and a nature center had a potted poison ivy plant displayed under glass. Hours after looking at it I had small bumps appear on my chest. All I did was look at it and my body reacted. I did not even touch the dang thing and I had an outbreak.
Speaking of weird; a bizarre item I kept reading (multiple times) is the myth you can build immunity by ingesting poison ivy leaves. I know you are a smart reader, but PLEASE DO NOT EAT POISON IVY.
The very last piece of advice I will leave you with is the proper identification of the plant. “Leaves of three” is the most common saying, but is the worst piece of advice. Once you start looking, you’ll see that almost 35% of the plants you’ll see will have “leaves of three.”
The easiest thing to look for is a dull dark green leaf that comes to a point with jagged sides and a red stem. If it looks like a strawberry plant without the spikes on the stems, then it could be poison ivy. They are most prolific in areas that get a lot of sun and usually out in the ‘wide-open’ like ditches, stream banks, and open areas in the woods. Returning back to the scene of the crime I realized that there wasn’t just poison ivy were I stood, but it was all over in the ditches for miles. I do not know if the township of Unity is exercising plant diversity near Riplinger with all that poison ivy, but I would not stop for that roadside attraction. Before I make you terrified of our country roads, most townships in Wisconsin eliminate it with pesticides once discovered. The dynamics of this plant are frustratingly fascinating even though it was the most agony I have recently experienced, physically and mentally. As embarrassing as it is that an agronomist didn’t know what poison ivy was, I could not help but be entertained by the process of investigating it, and sharing my story with you. Hopefully you do not find this plant, but if you have, then I hope this article was handy.
The Soil
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