The Dear Dr.MOZ Baby Blog

Dear Dr.MOZ,

My kids and I just broke-out in a horrible rash from Poison Ivy. This seems to happen every year when we go camping, but this year was strange because we haven’t gone anywhere yet! I’ve been told that it isn’t contagious which rules out getting it from someone else. What do you think is going on here Dr. MOZ?

Sincerely,
Rene

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Great question Rene! This is a big problem during the summer months, and urushiol (the toxic oil in Poison Oak, Poison Ivy, and Poison Sumac) can be hard to avoid any time of year because it doesn’t need to be on a leaf to cause an allergic reaction. Unfortunately, urushiol is extremely stable and this oil can be a threat years after contamination has occurred. If I were a betting moose, I’d narrow down your urushiol exposure to one of these three typical sources:

1) Pets

Many people are exposed to the oil by their dogs or cats who may run through a patch of Poison Oak, Ivy, or Sumac. If you live anywhere close to a source of urushiol, start by assuming the exposure was through your pets and bathe them outside to remove the oil from their fur. The same goes for any pet toy that may have found their way into the bushes.

2) Tools

Potential offenders could be any garden tool (shovels, rakes, gloves) or seasonal tool including hoses, weed wackers, or sprinklers. This assumes that you are somewhere near a source of urushiol, or have moved your tools to a source of contamination and brought them back to your home.

3) Sports Equipment

This could be particularly hard to detect, but the usual suspects include: balls, frisbees, tents, shoes/boots, fishing gear, and anything else that my have been dragged through the leaves/vines/shrubs on the way to the river or lake.

-> Additional Tip: urushiol is “oil soluble” so you’ll need to be careful when washing your pets, tools, and equipment because it can actually absorb through rubber gloves! Wash your hands with cold water and soap and don’t forget to wash your clothing and shoes thoroughly after every potential exposure. For the future, I can recommend Ivy Block which is the only FDA approved product that has been proven to prevent rashes before hand.

Have fun and stay healthy!

Dr.MOZ