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
