Poison Ivy/Oak

Naux

I live in a wooded area(West of Ire) and there are lots of wild plants around the place/garden. I did some strimming last year in shorts & a t-shirt ( I know I know) and I got absolutely destroyed and came out in major blisters and rash. I figured it must be poison ivy/oak but I was unable to identify the culprit plants but they must be close to the house somewhere. I learnt my lesson anyway. No big deal except...

This year my 5 year old is just after getting a similar huge blister on his shoulder. Very painful I can assure you! I assume he was out exploring and came into contact with the same plant.

Has anyone got any advice on how to find the culprit plants?? Good pictures/examples, likelihood of it being poison ivy or oak?(no oak trees in area)

vinnie13

hog weed?

my3cents

If you were strimming then it could have been the sap from any or all of the plants. I can get a rash around my face from strimming just grass. Then don't forget critters, I had a whole team off work after strimming an area with Brown Tail Moth caterpillars.

Day Lewin

"Poison Ivy" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toxicodendron_radicans) is not found in Ireland, though some people are sensitive to ordinary Irish ivy. (But more commonly to the berries in Autumn, as far as I know)

Strimming even ordinary lawns often produces a rash on skin, caused by the flying scraps of vegetataion: covering up all exposed skin is recommended for strimming, always

The blister - could it have been horsefly, or wasp?

Naux

my3cents wrote: »

If you were strimming then it could have been the sap from any or all of the plants. I can get a rash around my face from strimming just grass. Then don't forget critters, I had a whole team off work after strimming an area with Brown Tail Moth caterpillars.

Why, what happens with the caterpillars? Loads of moths around my place.

Naux

vinnie13 wrote: »

hog weed?

Just googled it! Thank god no its not this. My blisters have not returned and the areas have definitely been exposed to sunlight since the first episode.

Naux

katemarch wrote: »

"Poison Ivy" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toxicodendron_radicans) is not found in Ireland, though some people are sensitive to ordinary Irish ivy. (But more commonly to the berries in Autumn, as far as I know)

Strimming even ordinary lawns often produces a rash on skin, caused by the flying scraps of vegetataion: covering up all exposed skin is recommended for strimming, always

The blister - could it have been horsefly, or wasp?

A rash would not bother me but these are raised blisters with clear/yellowish liquid in them.

The blister on my son was 1inch x 1 inch approx. and it's taking weeks to heal. Same thing as mine last year. I had so many blisters that it would have had to been a swarm of horseflys!!

On healing after 6 weeks the skin is noticeably darker( for > 6 months) where the blister was.

Naux

katemarch wrote: »

"Poison Ivy" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toxicodendron_radicans) is not found in Ireland, though some people are sensitive to ordinary Irish ivy. (But more commonly to the berries in Autumn, as far as I know)

Strimming even ordinary lawns often produces a rash on skin, caused by the flying scraps of vegetataion: covering up all exposed skin is recommended for strimming, always

The blister - could it have been horsefly, or wasp?

Poison ivy not found in Ireland?? I have heard otherwise. Can anyone confirm either way?

my3cents

Naux wrote: »

Poison ivy not found in Ireland?? I have heard otherwise. Can anyone confirm either way?

Depends what you call Poison Ivy? Some plant names refer to different plants in different areas. We don't have what is traditionally know as Poison Ivy in Ireland.

There's probably more garden plants that have that effect than wild ones. Look up Datura and Brugmansia as I know they can cause similar issues - they do on me. But in most cases it takes more than just brushing past a plant to cause an issue you need to damage it enough to get the sap on you. Giant Rhubarb is a garden plant that can cause a rash if you rub up against it, its classed as a invasive species as its escaped into the wild in a few places in Ireland.

Brown Tail Moth doesn't iirc give rise to the sort of blisters you describe its more like a red rash so I think you can rule that one out.

Red Hare

I've known Ivy Berries to cause blisters

Naux

my3cents wrote: »

Depends what you call Poison Ivy? Some plant names refer to different plants in different areas. We don't have what is traditionally know as Poison Ivy in Ireland.

There's probably more garden plants that have that effect than wild ones. Look up Datura and Brugmansia as I know they can cause similar issues - they do on me. But in most cases it takes more than just brushing past a plant to cause an issue you need to damage it enough to get the sap on you. Giant Rhubarb is a garden plant that can cause a rash if you rub up against it, its classed as a invasive species as its escaped into the wild in a few places in Ireland.

Brown Tail Moth doesn't iirc give rise to the sort of blisters you describe its more like a red rash so I think you can rule that one out.

It's a completely wild area and no planting has ever taken place so it must be a wild plant. No garden nearby either.

my3cents

I think I'd be checking the 5 year old's story rather than looking for plants which don't seem to exist in you area.

kylith

You could stick up some photos of plants in that area and people might be able to give you an idea of if any would produce the symptoms you describe.

Naux

my3cents wrote: »

I think I'd be checking the 5 year old's story rather than looking for plants which don't seem to exist in you area.

I had the exact same reaction myself after strimming last year, identical blisters. I believe myself .He had no idea where his blisters came from and I believe him.

Has to be some sort of plant in the surrounds of the house.

Naux

kylith wrote: »

You could stick up some photos of plants in that area and people might be able to give you an idea of if any would produce the symptoms you describe.

Will take a few over the weekend and put them up. Thanks.

my3cents

Another one to check is Bracken but that only creates a rash and not everyone is affected, what you are describing has the same symptoms as a burn.

Naux

Few pics attached of some of surrounding plants.

Like trying to find a needle in a haystack I suppose.

Had a look at some pictures of the blisters that Poison Ivy leave on American sites and they are pretty identical to the ones that I had.

manufan16

the one with the white head mainly in the third picture caused your blisters.

Alone I don't think they cause blisters but if the skin was exposed to sunlight after being in contact with them blisters appear.



Edit: I am speaking from personal experience!

my3cents

manufan16 wrote: »

the one with the white head mainly in the third picture caused your blisters.

Alone I don't think they cause blisters but if the skin was exposed to sunlight after being in contact with them blisters appear.



Edit: I am speaking from personal experience!

Cow Parsley http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthriscus_sylvestris

Very possible but my experience would be you need a lot of sap like you'd get from strimming for it to start a rash and even then I doubt it affects everyone.

Supercell

I find i come out in a bad rash if I brush against Foxglove or Digitalis plants. They do give nice flowers but the leaves have a soft feel which very fast becomes itchy and then turns into a bubbly rash, not nice. They are quite common in Ireland , maybe some of those around?

Naux

No foxglove in the area as far as I can see.

Someone else suggested Hogweed earlier and from what I can see from the cow parley link above: the two plants are related and are the most likely source of the blisters.

Velvet shank

Naux wrote: »

No foxglove in the area as far as I can see.

Someone else suggested Hogweed earlier and from what I can see from the cow parley link above: the two plants are related and are the most likely source of the blisters.

the plant in your third pic above is actually Hogweed (Heracleum sphondylium)...not cow parsley

my3cents

Velvet shank wrote: »

the plant in your third pic above is actually Hogweed (Heracleum sphondylium)...not cow parsley

I've probably been getting them mixed up for years then

But not to be mixed up with Giant Hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum) a much bigger plant which is the one that is famous for causing blisters and its phototropic reaction.

Naux

Velvet shank wrote: »

the plant in your third pic above is actually Hogweed (Heracleum sphondylium)...not cow parsley

I read up on hogweed and it says the skin reacts again (after first set of blisters) if exposed to sunlight. That did not happen in my case so I was ruling out hogweed but looks like that's it then. The blisters do take ages to fully clear up and the ones I got while strimming were extensive :eek:

my3cents

Naux wrote: »

I read up on hogweed and it says the skin reacts again (after first set of blisters) if exposed to sunlight. That did not happen in my case so I was ruling out hogweed but looks like that's it then. The blisters do take ages to fully clear up and the ones I got while strimming were extensive :eek:

Most of the stuff online about reactions to hogweed are about the non native plant Heracleum mantegazzianum aka Giant Hogweed. You don't have Giant Hogweed which from personal experience I can assure you is as bad as you might have read.

Once you start to dig a bit deeper our native Hogweed (in your picture) gets a mention in conjunction with rashes and blisters http://occmed.oxfordjournals.org/content/55/5/393.full.pdf for example.

Joe Doe

Wouldn't ever dream of firing up the (petrol)strimmer without full length coverage, steeltoeboots (inches away from toes), good padded gloves (white finger vibration prevention), cheapsunglasses/face shield. All to easy to spin out a stone towards eyes at +60mph, or worst of all a (dried out) hidden dog turd, which will implode into a large nasty cloud of brown dust, yuk.

my3cents

Just to confuse matters (and not an excuse for not knowing what our native Hogweed looks like) the Americans call our native Hogweed Cow Parsley. Anyway reason for mentioning it is that in this American publication http://lni.wa.gov/Safety/Research/Dermatitis/files/phytoderm.pdf Heracleum sphondylium (the plant in the OP's third picture) gets a mention as Cow Parsley and causing Photo Dermititis.

Photo Dermatitis (Phytophotodermatitis): The reaction is caused by furocoumarin
chemicals (psoralens) present in plants in combination with Ultraviolet A light. After
exposure to the plant saps and sunlight, blisters form in a few hours. When the blisters
resolve, there is dark, streaky hyperpigmentation that can last for months. Most common
plants for causing this reaction are celery, carrots, parsnips, limes, figs, Queen Anne’s
lace and giant hogweed.

Naux

Joe Doe wrote: »

Wouldn't ever dream of firing up the (petrol)strimmer without full length coverage, steeltoeboots (inches away from toes), good padded gloves (white finger vibration prevention), cheapsunglasses/face shield. All to easy to spin out a stone towards eyes at +60mph, or worst of all a (dried out) hidden dog turd, which will implode into a large nasty cloud of brown dust, yuk.

You are obviously do a lot of strimming:D:D

Naux

Thanks to all for the very helpful links etc.

Naux

6860nicholas

Naux wrote: »

Thanks to all for the very helpful links etc.

Naux

Just back from doctors he didnt know what caused my rash and blisters v ugly and sore so put me on steroids and antiobotiocs. I was gardening and strimming for last few days in 24 celcius so had short sleves. I pulled some hog weed and was remarking the tiny littke hairs on tge stem wondering if they woukd be a priblem but carried on like a right mullagh! Oh boy 12 hours later rash blisters all over my arms it is 100% the plant in the original posters 3rd pic wheather its official name is hogweed or cowparsley. So be careful out there its a jungle!!!!