ECN Forum Forums Safety Discussion and News Occupational Safety Discussion Poison Ivy etc.

its bad,,,,if you have a problem with it, then the best thing for you is to stay away from brushy areas! if you do get into areas of question, u need to wash with a bleach/water mix....and make sure u laundry the cloths you had on right away.. an over active amune system is the problem at hand,,,it looks at the oil on your skin as a major problem an attacks it! a good soap to use is Burts Bees poison ivy soap or any petrolium based soap! antihistamines are good because they will slow down histamines in your body that are attacking the infected area, aka, itch/rash city....good luck

On the other side of the coin Bill, there are those of us (me included) that are allergic to bee and wasp stings.
I've always been aware of this and I have kept away from the risk.
That was until I was bitten by a White-tail spider in a roof about a year ago.
So I am told I fell through the ceiling after I blacked out and when I awoke I remember it being VERY hard to breathe.
Anaphalactic Shock so I am told it is called, people have been known to die from it and who am I to argue?.

Speaking of spiders...
Black Widows seem to have an affection for dark, damp places like crawl spaces, basements, etc., around here...
Black Widow Spiders

I've never been bitten by one, but their bite is known to be fatal without medical attention


-Randy

Aahhhh!!!.
Good Lord Randy,
I'm glad we don't have them over here.

Bill, sorry about your brush with poison ivy. Two products you can use made by Tec Laboratories are CalaGel, Tecnu. The first is anti-itch gel. The second is a cleaner to wash the affected area. They are labeled Oak-N-Ivy Brand.
Questions? Call 1-800-ITCHING

I've heard that the (infection?) spreads from the inside of your body after the initial contact and spread caused by scratching, etc.

It's not an infection, it's an alergic reaction to the oil from the plant on your skin. Contrary to popular belief it doesn't spread from the area of contact unless you spread the oil around by rubbing, clothing etc. That's why it is important to wash the areas as soon as possible with something that will remove the oil, not spread it. Tec-Nu is one product I recommend. They also have a product that you apply to your arms and legs before hand as a shield.

Some people can be overly sensitive to the chemical and develop systemic alergy symptoms. They should see a doctor.

For the itch, topical or oral antihistamines (benadril) can be used.

-Hal