Posted on 05/30/2006 1:03:10 PM PDT by billorites
Another reason to worry about global warming: more and itchier poison ivy.
The noxious vine grows faster and bigger as carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere rise, researchers report Monday.
And a CO2-driven vine also produces more of its rash-causing chemical, urushiol, conclude experiments conducted in a forest at Duke University where scientists increased carbon-dioxide levels to those expected in 2050.
Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas, a chemical that traps heat similar to the way a greenhouse does, that is considered a major contributor to global warming. Greenhouse gases have been steadily increasing in the atmosphere since the Industrial Revolution.
Poison ivy is common in woods around the country, making it a bane of hikers, campers, fighters of forest fires, even backyard gardeners. Its itchy, sometimes blistering rash is one of the most widely reported ailments to poison-control centers, with more than 350,000 reported cases a year.
Compared to poison ivy grown in usual atmospheric conditions, those exposed to the extra-high carbon dioxide grew about three times larger, and produced more allergenic form of urushiol, scientists from Duke and Harvard University reported.
Their study appears in this week's Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
"The fertilization effect of rising CO2 on poison ivy ... and the shift toward a more allergenic form of urushiol have important implications for the future health of both humans and forests," the study concludes, reports AP.
LOL - you and me both!
Benadryl - both topical and internal - will help deal with the itching. Caladryl is still the best stuff on the market to deal with the actual blistering as well.
Thanks for the ping. I'm so allergic to poison ivy I'll probably break out with it just for reading your post.
Ugh. The inside of my arms already itch.
The root will grow for a long way underground. The visible leaves can pop up anywhere along the root. What I have pop up in the yard now is usually from a root I missed.
Brush-b-gone does work better for the big stuff (root etc), you can just paint it on the root where cut and it really works great.
I need to post some pics tomorrow of some tremendous poison ivy growth at my place of employment. Looks like branches of the tree, but its not.
You can get it from their clothing too. It happened to my mother. My Dad was immune most of his life so he wasn't careful where he stepped while he was running fences. Mom got a terrible case just from dad's overalls.
Unbeknownst to most, and only recently beknownst to me, is the fact that MANGO is in the same family as poison oak, poison ivy and poison sumac, and its sap and leaves (not the juice inside the fruit) contains the same "active ingredient." Two weeks of a nasty rash around my mouth, chin and the tip of my nose taught me that lesson the hard way. Be forewarned!
I stand corrected and glad I don't live there.
The Today Show actually referenced the scouts "leaves of three, let it be" motto.
Typical. Libs get in "trouble" they rely on the scouts.
;-)
(Originally from Shasta County)
Here's a great tip for those who find themselves stuck with Poison Ivy rash:
Dawn Dish Detergent!
See, the Urushiol is an poisonous oily resin that continues to cause damage long after you've interrupted contact with the plant. You've got to get that resin OFF.
Smear all affected areas (except eyes and mucous membraines) with Dawn dish liquid, rub it around thoroughly, and rinse it off slowly, working the lather.
If you've been sufficiently thorough, the itch should begin to subside pretty immediately, rash should begin to fade in a few hours. If need be, repeat.
And yes, I am speaking from experience.
Membraines, membranes, membrains . . . whatever.
Thanks for that poison ivy remedy. Seriously.
Just imagine how relieved I felt when it started working!
My 8-ball partner is a landscaper and his wife gets it bad. I can't wait to tell them about your cure.
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