Originally Posted by
nwal
I hope no one listens to that old timer you know.......all the science I have read specifically states you can not increase immunity from poison ivy/oak but the opposite happens it eventually actually breaks down your immunity ......ive seen people burn it and end up hospitalized from the smoke exposure ....on the flip side ive watched cattle eat it like candy. I have always seen oldtimers use the jewel weed google it if you dontknow what it is ......in my opinion its a bushcraft instant plan but the only way to flat out not get it is to wash away the oil it leaves on your skin/ clothes with cold water and strong detergent soap.........hot water can open your poors and make you more prone to outbreak
I can vouch for the catching it from the smoke. When I was a kid I rode my bike past a field that a farmer was burning. The next day was at the emergency room with the rash down my throat, nostrils, lungs, in my eyes. It was so bad that when I first showed up to the doctors they started getting the burn unit ready.
As far as preventing it I have learned what it looks like and how to avoid it. I also wash as soon as I get back in from the woods (clothes and shower). I have found that dish soap brakes the oils down and if you wash soon enough it doesn't have time to create a reaction.
Now if you could just tell me how to keep then damn seed ticks off me I'd be a happy camper