Poison ivy is a bigger deal than you might currently consider it to be. It can do a lot more than make you itch for a while. It has hospitalized people, and in extreme circumstances, some victims have died.

If the plant was burned and you breathed it in, you would get the rash on the lining of your lungs. It would be excruciating for you, with every breath and it could led to death.

Of course, it could also be fatal when there is a hypersensitive allergic reaction. But you have to figure, since that happens to some people with peanuts, it is certainly possible with poison ivy. The interesting thing about this particular plant is the fact that the longer you are exposed to it, the more sensitive you will become to it.

Somewhere between 15 and 30 percent of all people do not have a sensitivity to the poison in this plant, but that can change with exposure. If several friends were hiking and they all had contact with the plant, there might be at least one of them who was not affected by it, at all. However, if she decides to get cute and takes some with her, either to show off her special powers, or to chase her friends with it, there will likely come a point that she becomes sensitized, and develops the same reactions to it as everyone else.

Urushiol is the actual poison in the poison ivy. It is found in its sap. It is the reason for the itching and burning skin. It sticks to your skin immediately upon contact and starts burning. You skin quickly becomes inflamed and it itches like the dickens. Then later, blisters will form.

The blisters are going to ooze for a while. You don’t want to be in public, if you can help it. There is some consolation in the fact that the poison does not spread in the oozing process. The best ways to deal with the symptoms is calamine lotion, oatmeal baths and baking soda. The rash can last from 1 to 4 weeks.

The plant is indigenous to the North American continent. Many Europeans who take holiday in the states and go hiking, are rudely surprised to learn that a plant that grows that freely can cause such problems. The best piece of advice is to avoid this plant, but it looks like so many others, you will probably end up avoiding lots of plants that are not poisonous. As the saying goes, better safe than sorry.

Poison ivy has leaves that grow in groupings of three. They are shaped like almonds. They can be found at ground level to 10″, and as shrubs, up to 4′, as well as vines that climb. They leaves are green, or orange, yellow or red, depending upon the season.

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