Steer clear of poison oak
By Loryll Nicolaisen, Journal staff writer
Auburn Journal
4/29/09
When hiking, biking or paddling in the American River Canyon this spring, keep this simple, age-old adage in mind: leaves of three, let them be.
Springtime in the foothills offers a beautiful landscape carpeted with wildflowers blooming in all shades of wonderful. But more rampant than orange poppies and purple lupine is tricky green poison oak.
It's in its most virulent form right now," said Mike Lynch, Auburn State Recreation Area park superintendent, of poison oak.
Warming weather means more visitors from in and outside the area are exploring the American River Canyon, and there are a few things to be conscious of when hitting the trails and waterways.
"It's a great time of year because it,s green and it's not too hot," Lynch said. "Trail-wise, this is our most popular time of year."
Lynch said poison oak is the single-most detrimental hazard on area trails right now. The urushiol resin from this plant can cause an itchy rash after it comes in contact with skin.
"Poison oak can produce a really annoying or debilitating rash, depending on how sensitive you are," said Eric Peach, Protect American River Canyons conservation coordinator. "It's just a red hot rash."
Poison oak can grow in many forms - on the ground, as well as bushy and more vine-like types - which are all easily identified with what Lynch considers a traditional description.
"Leaves of three, let them be," he said, describing poison oak's three-leaf clusters.
The best way to think of poison oak is that it's pretty much everywhere - urushiol transfers not only to skin, but also to clothing, shoes, and animal fur.
"People can get a really bad case of poison oak from their dogs," Lynch said. "You've got to think of it as a contact sport. You've got to think about it from start to finish. You've got to figure it's almost everywhere."
Prevention is key when it comes to poison oak, said Dr. Robert Bixler, a family physician with the Auburn Medical Clinic who is also a former Outward Bound guide. Make sure skin is covered and be aware that urushiol isn?t isolated to just poison oak's leaves. And keep in mind that it only takes about 30 minutes of exposure for skin to react.
"Once you get it, we?re not able to stop it," Bixler said. "Even if you wash it off, your body still reacts to it."
While you can't stop poison oak, there are ways to lessen the symptoms. Over-the-counter options include calamine lotion and anti-itch gels and sprays - Bixler, Peach and Lynch all suggested Tecnu products.
When a body's reaction to poison oak is more severe, physicians can prescribe steroid cream and injections. People shouldn't suffer in silence, and shouldn't be afraid to consult a physician when the rash becomes unbearable, Bixler said.
Knowing to stay away from poison oak can prevent a lot of heartache later on, Bixler said.
"The primary factor is to not get into it in the first place," he said.
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