❖ Poison Ivy : Contact Dermatitis Poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac plants contain a compound called urushiol, which is a light, colorless oil that is found in the fruit, leaves, stem, root, and sap of the plant. When urushiol is exposed to air, it turns brown and then black; plant leaves develop small black spots. There are several ways that you can be exposed to urushiol: ●By touching the sap or rubbing against the leaves of the toxic plant at any time of year ●By touching something that has urushiol on it, such as animal fur or garden tools ●By breathing in smoke when toxic plants are burned ●Ginkgo fruit and the skin of mangoes also contain urushiol and can produce symptoms similar to poison ivy dermatitis After contact with urushiol, approximately 50 percent of people develop signs and symptoms of poison ivy dermatitis. The symptoms and severity differ from person to person. How it Manifests ?! The most common signs and symptoms of poison ivy dermatitis are: ●Intense itching ●Skin swelling ●Skin redness These symptoms usually develop within four hours to four days after exposure to the urushiol. After the initial symptoms, you will develop fluid-filled blisters in a line or streak-like pattern. The symptoms are worse within 1 to 14 days after touching the plant, but can develop up to 21 days later if you have never been exposed to urushiol before. The blisters can occur at different times in different people; blisters can develop on the arms several days after blisters on the hands developed. This does not mean that the reaction is spreading from one area of the body to the other. The fluid that leaks from blisters does not spread the rash. Poison ivy dermatitis is not contagious and cannot be passed from person to person. However, urushiol can be carried under fingernails and on clothes; if another person comes in contact with the urushiol, they can develop poison ivy dermatitis. How to Treat ?! Poison ivy dermatitis usually resolves within one to three weeks without treatment. Treatments that may help relieve the itching, soreness, and discomfort caused by poison ivy dermatitis include: Skin treatments — For some people, adding oatmeal to a bath, applying cool wet compresses, and applying calamine lotion may help to relieve itching. Once the blisters begin weeping fluid, astringents containing aluminum acetate (Burrows solution) and Domeboro may help to relieve the rash. Antihistamines — Antihistamines do not help to relieve itching caused by poison ivy dermatitis. Some antihistamines make you sleepy while others do not. The ones that make you sleepy (eg, diphenhydramine [sample brand name Benadryl]) can help you to ignore the itch while sleeping. Steroid creams — Steroid creams may be helpful if they are used during the first few days after symptoms develop. Low potency steroid creams, such as 1 percent hydrocortisone (available in the United States without prescription) are not usually helpful. A stronger prescription formula may be helpful. Steroids — If you develop severe symptoms or the rash covers a large area (especially on the face or genitals), you may need steroid pills (eg, prednisone) or injections (eg, triamcinolone acetonide, budesonide) to help relieve itching and swelling. Pills are usually given for 14 to 21 days, with the dosage slowly decreased over time. Antibiotics — Skin infections are a potential complication of poison ivy, especially if you scratch your skin. If you develop a skin infection because of poison ivy dermatitis, you may need antibiotics to treat the infection. Other treatments — You should not use antihistamine creams or lotions, anesthetic creams containing benzocaine, or antibiotic creams containing neomycin or bacitracin to the skin. These creams or ointments could make the rash worse. #USmleMadeEasy
Posted on: Thu, 27 Nov 2014 06:05:01 +0000
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