From: Living Healthy
Date: Jun 16, 2007
Description:
Poison Ivy
Poison Ivy rash is caused by an allergy to the plants oil and routinely lasts 2-3 weeks. If you think you may have touched poison ivy, wash all exposed areas as soon as you can.
It is critical to identify Poison Ivy. If you can identify it then you can avoid it. Identification tips for Poison Ivy:
“Leaves of three, leave it be" is good advice. It can be a woody shrub or a vine. As a shrub, it can grow about 6 feet high. As a vine, it can climb 40 feet up a tree. I tend to look for it in sunny areas, especially along fencerows or the edge of a garden. Image from "Shrubs and Woody Vines of Missouri." Copyright 1997 by the Conservation Commission of the State of Missouri. Used with permission. [Larger image]
Ticks
Ticks are very common in Missouri once you get outside of the cities. As soon as Spring starts Ticks become active. Remove ticks immediately. This is important because it can take hours for an infected tick to transmit disease. Ticks can transmit a variety of illnesses: Lyme Disease, ehrlichiosis and Rocky Mountain spotted fever.
However, there were only 41 cases of Lyme Disease reported in Missouri in the year 2002. It's much less common than most people think. And be aware that the diagnosis for Lyme Disease is not just a simple blood test. Many people are given the diagnosis incorrectly based on inaccurate interpretations of blood tests. Accurate diagnosis often means seeing an Infectious Disease Specialist.
Prevention is key with ticks. If you're going to spend much time in tick-infested areas, here are a few things you can do to keep the ticks at bay:
Pre-treat your long pants, shirt and socks with Permethrin. One brand name is "Permanone Clothing Insect Repellent"
Wear long pants. Best it tucked into boots or socks to form a mechanical barrier.
Spray a DEET insect repellant onto the bottom of the pants, your socks and any exposed skin.
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This podcast first aired on April 7, 2006.
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