Myth |
Fact |
| Poison Ivy rash is
contagious. |
Rubbing the rashes won't spread poison ivy to other
parts of your body (or to another person). You spread
the rash only if urushiol oil -- the sticky,
resinlike substance that causes the rash -- has been
left on your hands. |
| You can catch
poison ivy simply by being near the plants |
Direct contact is needed to release urusiol oil.
Stay away from forest fires, direct burning, or
anything else that can cause the oil to become
airborne such as a lawnmower, trimmer, etc. |
| Leaves of three,
let them be |
Poison sumac has 7 to 13 leaves on a branch,
although poison ivy and oak have 3 leaves per cluster. |
| Do
not worry about dead plants |
Urushiol oil stays active on any surface,
including dead plants, for up to 5 years. |
| Breaking the
blisters releases urushiol oil that can spread |
Not true. But your wounds can become infected and
you may make the scarring worse. In very extreme
cases, excessive fluid may need to be withdrawn by a
doctor. |
| I've been in poison
ivy many times and never broken out. I'm immune. |
Not necessarily true. Upwards of 90% of people are
allergic to urushiol oil, it's a matter of time and
exposure. The more times you are exposed to urushiol,
the more likely it is that you will break out with an
allergic rash. For the first time sufferer, it
generally takes longer for the rash to show up -
generally in 7 to 10 days. |
| For
more on this article go to http://poisonivy.aesir.com/view/fastfacts.html |
