Poison Sumac

I just returned from northern Wisconsin and was reminded that in addition to poison ivy and poison oak, there is poison sumac. Poison Sumac is beautiful red in the fall and with a hard freeze there, it started to turn.

With any of these, the oil from the plant is the problem. If you know you have been exposed, wash the area with just plain cold water as soon as possible. If the oil bonds with the skin, this is when the reaction occurs. You need to wash the skin off as soon as possible. While the reaction usually does not occur until 24-48 hours after exposure, you need to wash the area in the first hour after exposure.

Some home remedies which will help with the itching are using a baking soda paste on the areas of the itch. You can also use distilled white vinegar to relieve the itching.