Poisen what?
Mihura:
Oh thank you Beos for the explanation about this real ivy thing. I like forest marchings but it's cool to be in Europe after all. :D
verenaheu:
That´s a nice picture, if we`d have it as groundcover, it would be more realistic, lol...:smt106
freshsfs2003:
Quote from: beosboxboy;1011168
Just a note to people who have never been to North America. Poison ivy is a real thing, it is a sort of woody, vining, bushy plant with lancate leaves, but is not a true ivy. The plant produces urushiol, a powerful skin irritant, which produces a blistering, inflamed skin-rash accompanied by a powerful burning and itching sensation on contact with the skin, similar in effect to the rash produced by contact with sap of the Asian lacque tree's sap, nut shell of raw cashew fruit, and the skin of the mango fruit. When burned, inhalation of the smoke causes diarrhea and other internal irritations. Similar plants are poison oak (more shrub-like) and poison sumac (more tree-like)... none of them are much fun.
In the real world, once you encounter any of these vile surprises in nature:
[*]First, cleanse exposed skin with generous amounts of isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol. (Don't return to the woods or yard the same day. Alcohol removes your skin's protection along with the urushiol and any new contact will cause the urushiol to penetrate twice as fast.)
[*]Second, wash skin with water. (Water temperature does not matter; if you're outside, it's likely only cold water will be available.)
[*]Third, take a regular shower with soap and warm water. Do not use soap before this point because soap will tend to pick up some of the urushiol from the surface of the skin and move it around.
[*]Clothes, shoes, tools, and anything else that may have been in contact with the urushiol should be wiped off with alcohol and water. Be sure to wear gloves or otherwise cover your hands while doing this and then discard the hand covering.
[/LIST]
If you don't cleanse quickly enough, or your skin is so sensitive that cleansing didn't help, redness and swelling will appear in about 12 to 48 hours. Blisters and itching will follow. For those rare people who react after their very first exposure, the rash appears after seven to 10 days.
Because they don't contain urushiol, the oozing blisters are not contagious nor can the fluid cause further spread on the affected person's body. Nevertheless, do not scratch the blisters because fingernails may carry germs that could cause an infection -- or worse there could be urushiol trapped under the nails and just spread the rash to ... well, places you really don't want this crud being, think "privy parts".
The rash will only occur where urushiol has touched the skin; it doesn't spread throughout the body on its own. However, the rash may seem to spread if it appears over time instead of all at once. This is either because the urushiol is absorbed at different rates in different parts of the body or because of repeated exposure to contaminated objects or urushiol trapped under the fingernails.
The rash, blisters and itch normally disappear in 14 to 20 days without any treatment. But few can handle the itch without some relief. For mild cases, wet compresses or soaking in cool water may be effective. Oral antihistamines can also relieve itching. Over-the-counter topical corticosteroids will deal with the itching effectively. For severe cases, prescription topical corticosteroid drugs can halt the reaction, but only if treatment begins within a few hours of exposure. Prescription oral corticosteroids should be used if the rash is on the face, genitals, or covers more than 30 percent of the body.
In short, if you come to North America and go anywhere outdoors, you run a high chance of encountering these vile, hateful plants. Take this wisdom to heart, I thought the Yanks were winding me up....
You are so awesome for posting this. Sometimes I forget everyone does not live in North America. I wish I lived in Europe though that's my new lifetime goal: To move!
caffeinated.joy:
Poison ivy is a thing of pure evil. My younger sister ran afoul of it when we were kids and it wasnt pretty.
The swarm of bees thing in the game...now that's hilarious. I just about peed myself laughing.
b@ mang:
I go camping 3x every year. If you enjoy the outdoors & want to spend some quality moments w/ Mother Earth; 1st learn what to look for when you decide to leave the campsite and go explore the forests. Usually, there are notices and or flyers that warn vistors of dangerous plants and insects that populate the area. Thankgoodness poison ivy hasn't struck me yet!
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