Poison Ivy Symptoms
Poison Ivy as a Disease
Poison ivy is a plant common to wooded areas in the eastern two-thirds to three-quarters of the United States and Canada, but it is also an affliction as in, “I’ve got poison ivy.” When people “have” poison ivy they are really referring to a poison ivy rash and associated symptoms caused by contact with oils from the poison ivy plant. Between 50% and 70% of the population is sensitive to the oil that causes poison ivy contact dermatitis, urushiol oil. Urushiol oil is found in every part of the poison ivy plant and when it contacts the skin of a sensitive person, various symptoms occur.
Allergic Contact Dermatitis
Poison ivy is the most common cause of allergic contact dermatitis in the United States. When a person sensitive (allergic) to urushiol oil contacts the poison ivy plant (or anything else that contacted a poison ivy plant) the person begins to develop a rash within the first 24-48 hours after exposure. A poison ivy rash is the most common and usually the first noticeable sign of contact. Occasionally the rash is preceded by itchiness (pruritis). The poison ivy rash begins as small red bumps and occurs in any place where urushiol oil has contacted the skin. Physicians tend to look for streaks or straight lines of bumps. This tell-tale sign of a poison ivy rash occurs when the oil is pulled along the skin from itching or incidental movement.
Moderate Poison Ivy Symptoms
Often the poison ivy rash will progress to form blisters. Poison ivy blisters are different from earlier bumps in that they are fluid-filled. The fluid contained within poison ivy blisters, interestingly, is not filled with urushiol oil. In fact, it is completely without the offending chemical. That means that if someone that has not been afflicted with a poison ivy rash and comes in contact with the blister fluid, no rash will be passed. It is the urushiol oil itself that is required to cause poison ivy symptoms.
Severe Poison Ivy Symptoms
One feared reaction to poison ivy is a disorder called erythema multiforme. Erythema multiforme from poison ivy is rare, but when it does occur it causes a severe rash. Erythema multiforme resembles a bull’s eye with a light center and a red spreading ring. While erythema multiforme is transient, it can be made worse by a bacterial infection of the skin.
Another potentially severe complication of a poison ivy rash is bacterial infection. Since the skin tends to breakdown after repeated scratching and breaking of poison ivy blisters, the skin’s natural protective barrier breaks down as well. This allows bacteria that normally colonize the skin (like Streptococcus and Staphylococcus) to create pretty nasty skin infections. Bacterial skin infections require antibiotic treatment.
