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About Applegater. (Jacksonville, OR) 2008-current | View Entire Issue (July 1, 2008)
Applegater July-August 2008 21 EARL’S PEARLS Poison oak: prevention and treatment BY EARL SHOWERMAN, M.D. Poison oak is ubiquitous across the low elevation woodlands of the Applegate Valley, especially in areas where the soils have been disturbed, where it flourishes as ground cover, shrubs and vines. Most people are sensitive to the oil found on the leaf, stems and roots of the plant, which causes a delayed allergic reaction called contact dermatitis. Poison oak contact dermatitis usually appears one to two days following exposure to the plant oil and results in a very itchy red rash with raised red bumps and tiny blisters, often in line with the specific area of contact. If the face is affected, there may be marked swelling also. Prevention is much more effective than treatment because poison oak dermatitis can take weeks to resolve. When you are around poison oak, stay on the beaten path away from the plants and wear protective clothing and gloves. You also can prevent poison oak oil from adhering to your skin and causing a reaction by washing unprotected skin with soap and water within 30 minutes after contact with the plant. Technu and Zanafel are commercially available cleansing agents that will help remove the plant oil up to four to eight hours after contact. Ivy Block or Ivy Shield are barrier creams that can be applied prior to exposure and will help prevent an outbreak if you bathe within eight hours of contact. Poison oak contact dermatitis is not contagious, although scratching the rash can be very harmful to the skin and increases the chances of getting a secondary infection. The treatment of contact dermatitis includes agents to reduce itching like Burrow’s solution soaks, which help dry the oozing sores. Hydrocortisone and prescription cortisone creams or ointments may be applied three to four times a day to reduce the local inflammation. For best effect, topical cortisone creams should be applied after washing the affected area with warm water, patting dry, and then applying a thin layer of medication. Wrapping the skin with a clear plastic wrap after putting on the cortisone medicine also can increase its absorption and effectiveness. In severe reactions, injections or a short course of oral cortisone medicine such as prednisone or Medrol may be needed. Most of the time short-term treatment with these medicines causes few serious side effects. Take medicine with food to help prevent stomach upset from these drugs. Antihistamine drugs can help relieve itching. Oral antibiotics are prescribed if an infection develops, usually indicated by increased redness, swelling and heat. Poison oak (Rhus diversibloba) Photo: www.sbcsar.org Proper treatment will usually improve poison oak symptoms within two days. While the rash is not contagious from person to person, the plant resins may be present on your clothing or shoes, or in your pet’s fur. Be sure to wash your hands, clean your nails, and wash your clothes and pets with soap and water to get rid of all the plant oils that may cause this common skin reaction. Earl Showerman, M.D. • 541-899-8721 Kristi Cowles makes her Applegate debut J ULY C OURSES! Get into the swing of summer with exciting and informative courses in the field with the Siskiyou Field Institute. Learn more about the unique and beautiful Klamath-Siskiyou region! Photo: Annie Driver Recording artist and recent Wisconsin transplant to the Applegate, Kristi Cowles, makes her Applegate musical debut with Clint Driver (right) on lead guitar and vocals and Steve Driver (left) on bass guitar. The trio performed to a standing-room-only venue at the home of Clint and Mary Driver.. Answers to puzzles on page 4: 6 1 8 7 5 3 2 9 4 6 2 1 5 3 4 • Lava Beds Bat Watch (July 11 th & 12 th , Lava Beds National Monument, CA) Experience the mysterious world of bats while exploring Lava Beds National Monument. $90 • Crater Lake National Park: Sensitive Natural Wonders of the Cascades (July 19 th & 20 th , Crater Lake National Park, OR) Investigate how fire, disease, and beetle outbreaks are changing the High Cascade landscape around Crater Lake. $80 • SFI Annual Dinner (July 25 th , Deer Creek Center, Selma, OR) Join SFI staff, instructors and other participants for SFI’s Annual Dinner. $15-$25 sliding scale • Outdoor Explorer at DCC (July 26 th , Deer Creek Center, Selma, OR) Explore Deer Creek Center with other curious kids and search for the critters that call it home. $30 • Speleology: The Science of Caves (July 26th, Deer Creek Center, Selma, OR) Discover the biology, geology and archeology of caves in the classroom and while squeezing between boulders and jumping crevices. $40 • Conifers (July 26 th Deer Creek Center, Selma, OR) Visit locations that highlight these spectacular trees and learn interrelationships of site, soil, and altitude that cultivate such diversity. $40 • Following Whittaker: Monitoring Environmental Change in the Siskiyous (July 26 th Deer Creek Center, Selma, OR) Hike in the bootprints of eminent plant ecologist Robert Whittaker who studied serpentine and diorite plant communities in the Siskiyous from 1949 to 1951. $40 • Forests: The Complexities and Conflicts (July 27 th Deer Creek Center, Selma, OR) Learn about forest ecology, forestry skills, and the critical thinking process called research. $40 • Salmon Snorkeling (July 27 th Deer Creek Center, Selma, OR) Discover the underwater world of coho and Chinook salmon, steelhead, cutthroat trout, Pacific lamprey, and several warm water fish. $40 • Wild and Scenic Geology of the Smith River Gorge (July 27 th Deer Creek Center, Selma, OR) Tour the Redwood Highway as it parallels the wild and scenic Smith River, and learn about its stunning geology. $40 For more information or to receive a free catalog contact Siskiyou Field Institute: 541-597-8530; www.thesfi.org; institute@thesfi.org
