Shilo Stag
Finding a lost ball in the brush adjacent to the fairway at the Shilo Country Club might result in poison ivy rash on bare skin, especially if golfing in shorts.
That’s advice BComd golf tournament organizer Jim MacKenzie recently gave prior to the start of the 17th annual tournament. He’s not only looking to speed up play, to avoid golfers spending too much time searching for a ball which sliced left into the brush, but also for health reasons.
What is poison ivy rash? It is caused by an allergic reaction to an oily resin called urushiol — this oily resin is in the leaves, stems and roots of poison ivy, poison oak and poison sumac.
If exposed by going into the brush, golfers should wash their skin right away. If you come into contact with this oil, unless you know you’re not sensitive to it, washing off the oil may reduce your chances of getting a poison ivy rash. If you develop a rash, it can be very itchy and last for weeks.
Golfers can treat mild cases of poison ivy rash at home with soothing lotions and cool baths. You may need prescription medication for a rash that’s severe or widespread, especially if it’s on your face or genitals.
Signs and symptoms of a poison ivy rash include: redness, itching, swelling and blisters.
Poison ivy rash often appears in a straight line because of the way the plant brushes against your skin. But if you develop a rash after touching a piece of clothing or pet fur which has urushiol on it, the rash may be more spread out.
You can also transfer the oil to other parts of your body with your fingers. The reaction usually develops 12 to 48 hours after exposure and lasts two to three weeks. The severity of the rash depends on the amount of urushiol that gets on your skin.
When to see a doctor? Seek emergency medical attention if you inhaled the smoke from burning poison ivy and are having difficulty breathing.
See your doctor if: the reaction is severe or widespread; your skin continues to swell; the rash affects your eyes, mouth or genitals; blisters are oozing pus; you develop a fever greater than 37.8 C; and the rash doesn’t get better within a few weeks.
Base biologist Sherry Punak-Murphy provided the Stag with more information related to poison ivy you’ll find around the Base, especially if you are new to CFB Shilo during the 2023 posting season.
WESTERN POISON IVY
Western Poison ivy is a woody, single stemmed climbing shrub or vine belonging to the Sumac family. The plant is native to Canada and typically grows on sandy, stony, or rocky shores, sprouts in thickets, in clearings and along borders of wooded areas. Poison ivy can grow in one of two ways.
Western poison ivy occurs throughout Canada and grows most commonly as a trailing vine with upright leafy stalks that are 10 to 80 centimetres high or leafy shrub. Poison ivy is commonly confused with other plants, but can be distinguished by its leaves — “leaflets three, let it be.”
It has three divided leaflets, with the centre leaflet on a longer stalk. Seed distribution is the main cause of continuous poison ivy growth, but there is also an extensive underground root from which new plants develop. For this reason, killing the above ground parts does not mean the plant has been destroyed.
The plant contains an oily resin, with a chemical component known as urushiol, it is this component that can cause an irritating inflammation or contact dermatitis upon exposure to skin. This resin is present in the roots, vines and leaves of the plant. Plants are variously poisonous depending on time of year and plant maturity, with later season more mature plants containing the highest levels of urushiol.
The incidence and intensity of poison ivy sensitivity varies for each individual, although most people will experience some type of reaction. In addition, because there is a concert of factors that determine whether or not a person will have an allergic reaction, those people that have never suffered any ill effects should not take for granted that they are immune for life; it is believed that only about 15 per cent of the population has true immunity to urushiol.
Poison ivy need only be controlled in areas where personnel come into contact with it and where it poses a health risk to these personnel. Priority is from low to high considering the circumstances.
Poison ivy is a perennial plant, reproducing every year from an existing rootstock. Poison ivy flowers May through July in small greenish-white clusters with its male and female flowers on separate plants. The leaves are a reddish brown colour when they emerge in the spring, turn to a bright green in the summer, and become various shades of yellow, orange, and red in the fall. Leaves vary in size from eight to 55 mm. Between August and November the plant develops small, green, waxy looking berries that turn a dull whitish colour when ripe. When the leaves drop in the fall, these berries are a distinct identifier of the poison ivy plant.
Poison ivy is also a native plant with considerable wildlife value as a food source and as a factor in erosion control. In areas where it does not pose a safety or visual problem to personnel, the threshold can be very high. Only when it becomes a problem to personnel should management be considered.
What to do if you are exposed to poison ivy: immediately wash the contaminated part of body with soap and water — soap is necessary to remove the toxic oily substance from skin; rubbing alcohol can also be used if soap and water are unavailable. Wash and rinse contaminated areas repeatedly.
Symptoms of an allergic reaction: Within the first 12 to 48 hours a mild itching followed by a faint blush on the skin, itching sensation increases and within a few hours to a few days, small watery blisters may appear. Not all parts of the skin will react at the same rate and it is possible for symptoms to appear in new areas for up to a week. It is, however, extremely important to wash all objects that may have come into contact with poison ivy so as to avoid inadvertent exposure.
• Mild cases – no more than shiny marks on the skin.
• Moderate case – the marks form itchy blisters which then burst oozing fluid — this fluid does not spread the poison ivy, it is a normal reaction of the immune system. Eventually the blisters dry up and form scabs.
• Severe attack – restlessness, fever, severe itching and in extreme cases anaphylaxis.
What about treatments for poison ivy? If the reaction is severe or over a large part of the body, go to the physician immediately.
Antihistamines taken soon after exposure and continued for a couple of days usually help with the intensity of the body’s response. Once blisters have formed, avoid scratching and/or rubbing as this can lead to scaring.
A compress can reduce soreness and itchiness (equal parts whole milk and cold water in a bowl with ice cubes. Soak face cloth in solution, wring out lightly and apply to affected area several times per day). A baking soda plaster (3:1 baking soda to water) is also effecting in soothing itching and drying out the blisters.
Soothing lukewarm bath with one cup of oatmeal Lotions such as calamine or a topical corticosteroid cream may be applied to affected areas as well.
Besides avoiding ticks going off the fairway of the golf course, golfers like Sgt Gossen wears pants when he golfs just in case his legs come in contact with Western poison ivy if he was to venture into the brush where this plant is growing. Photo Jules Xavier/Shilo Stag & Sherry Punak-Murphy/Base biologist
