Common myths

•Poison ivy blisters are “contagious.”

 False. The bubbly, runny rashes are a reaction to the oil in poison ivy called urushiol. It is the oil that can be spread, not the rash. Urushiol can remain potent on clothes, garden tools and pet fur for months and inadvertently spread to any part of your body that comes in contact with it.

•Poison ivy spreads through your bloodstream.

 False. Only direct contact with urushiol spreads poison ivy. Wash those shorts that you hiked in yesterday or risk spreading urushiol oil up your legs when you put them on again.

•You can catch poison ivy rash by being near the plants.

 Depends. You need to be in direct contact with urushiol oil to get the rash. However the oil can easily become airborne while weed-whacking or during brush burnings. Keep away from fires. Inhaled urushiol can cause serious breathing problems.

•Once allergic, always allergic.

 False: Sensitivity to urushiol can change over time. Those sensitive to poison ivy as children may not be as they get older, and vice versa.