Everything you Need to Know about Poison Ivy #Infographic

Can you name one plant that causes allergic reactions to over 85% of the worlds population when coming into contact with it?  Can you name a plant’s oil that can linger on clothes for months and still be poisonous to one’s skin?  Poison Ivy, Poison Sumac, & Poison Sumac are highly contagious, poisonous plants that dwell in most parts of the United States and can camouflage itself in your garden. These plants have been known to overtake a garden and linger for months if not removed or eradicated properly.  Without knowing its whereabouts or its defining characteristics, this can certainly ruin a weekend if infected since over 50 million Americas fall victim to these plants each year–and these are only the documented cases.

Redness, itching, and blistering are all nasty side effects of the allergic reaction that can be caused by coming into contact with these plants and not taking the proper actions to rid oneself of the infection.  Most allergic reactions can be prevented even if one has come into contact with any of these poisonous plants.  Research shows that an individual has around 24-48 hours to remove the urushiol from the skin if contact has been confirmed.  What should you do if you have been in the outdoors and possibly been infected?  Take a cold shower with soap to ensure that any oil has been removed.