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Show Avoid Contact By DR. HAROLD B. LIGON As warmer weather approaches, we're nearing the poison ivy, poison oak and sumac allergy seasons. These are classified as contact dermatitis der-matitis of an allergic nature. POISON IVY and poison oak grow widely in yards and forests and the allergy is transmitted trans-mitted by contact with the leaf or vine. It usually takes several days for the rash to become very' red, raised, weepy and' highly irritated. 'Management of an'acute rash consists of drying agents, antipruritic (itch) agents, and somethimes steroids or anti-histaminic anti-histaminic injections. TO AVOID such allergies, one must avoid contact. This can most easily be done by wearing protective clothing, taking baths soon after expo sure in woods or yard and sometimes cleansing areas with alcohol. One should try very hard to avoid scratching affected skin area, though this is hot easy to do. SCRATCHING WILL spread the allergy because the agent will be spread over a wider skin area when the vesicles vesi-cles are ruptured and transmitted transmit-ted to other parts of the body, quite often, by the fingers. ' One of the more widely used remedieis is some form of cala-'mine cala-'mine lotion. Often, if one canH get to the drug store, a starch or flour paste can be very effective. This simple paste is made by adding water to starch or flour. BUT TREATMENT may require re-quire much more intense medication, medi-cation, even sometimes involving in-volving injections and oral medications. |
