Poison Ivy Is Worse Than Ever

Forget the Calamine lotion for a big rash. This fall, poison ivy is so big, so strong, and so allergic that doctors have to prescribe steroids to treat it.

Plant physiologists at the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Beltsville, Md., say the plant is also more ubiquitous than in previous years. Their research indicates that high levels of carbon dioxide in the air are making plants 50 percent to 75 percent higher than the plants of the 1950s.

According to Duke University, high carbon dioxide levels create a chemical change in poison ivy plants and vines that results in a more potent form of urushiol, the oil that 70 percent of people are allergic to. In its many forms, the plant can be hard to identify. Check www.poison-ivy.org for illustrations.

If you are exposed and it has been more than 10 minutes, soap and water will only remove half the oil. Goop, a Grease Remover and Dial Ultra dishwashing soap are about 60 percent effective, according to Pediatric Nursing. Rubbing alcohol also helps.

Even a small or casual contact will result in a rash.

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