Every part of these plants - the leaves, stems, roots, and flowers - contains the oil. Adults who never had a rash as a child may become sensitive to the oil.īy touching poison ivy, poison oak, or poison sumac, you can get a rash. They may completely lose their sensitivity and never get another rash when the oil touches their skin. About 15 percent of people do not become sensitive to this oil and never develop a rash.Īdults who had rashes as a child often find that they are less sensitive as adults. Once you are sensitive to it, a rash appears.
The next time this oil gets on your skin you can become sensitive to it. The first time you get this oil on your skin, you may not get a rash. Most people (85 percent) develop a rash when they get urushiol on their skin. Poison ivy, oak and sumac: Who gets and causes The person has to touch the oil to get the rash. Even if the person touches the rash or the fluids in the blisters, the person cannot get the rash. You cannot give the rash to someone else.
You spread the oil on your skin by touching other parts of your body.The rash can continue to appear on new parts of the body when: The rash is very itchy and can appear on any part of the body. An outbreak of small or large blisters, often forming streaks or lines.If you have a reaction to the oil, you can have these signs (what you see) and symptoms (what you feel): The rash also can appear within hours or a few days. Or it may take a week for the rash to appear. If this is your first contact with urushiol, you may not see a rash. Within minutes of contact with urushiol, the skin starts to absorb it. You find this oil in all parts of the plants - the leaves, stems, and even the roots. Urushiol is the oil in poison ivy, oak, and sumac. What you see and feel on your skin is caused by urushiol (you-ROO-shee-all). Poison ivy, oak and sumac: Signs and symptoms Rash from poison ivy: Redness, small, itchy bumps (hives), and itchy skin are common. Image used with permission of the American Academy of Dermatology National Library of Dermatologic Teaching Slides. If you have trouble breathing or swallowing, go to an emergency room immediately.
Swelling is a sign of a serious reaction - especially swelling that makes an eye swell shut or your face to swell. If you have a serious reaction, you need to see a doctor right away. Most people see the rash go away in a few weeks. It might seem to spread, but this is a delayed reaction. The rash is not contagious and does not spread. The itchy, blistering rash often does not start until 12 to 72 hours after you come into contact with the oil.
This oil is called urushiol (you-ROO-shee-all). This rash is caused by an oil found in the plants. Many people get a rash from poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac. Many people develop an itchy rash that causes lines or streaks that look like this.