Whether it’s poison ivy or ragweed, we’ve got you covered!
While poison ivy causes severe inflammatory reactions on the skin and is dangerous to touch, ragweed is responsible for seasonal rhinitis, commonly known as hay fever, and is harmless to touch. To help you distinguish between these two plants, learn to recognize their very different characteristics.
Poison ivy
Who’s affected : everyone, even pets.
Appearance: bushy, creeping or climbing plant, glossy leaves with smooth, slightly indented edges. Color varies: wine-red in spring, dark green in summer and multicolored in autumn.
It can be found: all over Quebec; mainly at the edge of woods, but also along fences, roads, cliffs, riverbanks and railroads.
Allergen: poison ivy produces a toxic sap containing urushiol, which can cause painful inflammation on contact with the skin (allergic contact dermatitis), accompanied by itching, redness, swelling, blistering and crusting when the blisters burst.
Surprisingly, people are not affected by their first contact with poison ivy, but become sensitized to it. This puts them at risk of developing an allergic reaction the next time they are exposed.
Ragweed
Who’s affected : 1 in 5 Quebecers suffers from seasonal rhinitis, and 75% of these cases are caused by ragweed allergy.
Appearance: serrated, carrot-like foliage. In summer, small spikes of green or yellowish flowers appear at the top of the stems.
It is found mainly along the St. Lawrence Valley, in large cities, suburbs and the countryside.
Allergen: flowers release millions of highly allergenic pollen grains that are inhaled and cause seasonal rhinitis (nasal congestion; runny nose; sneezing; tingling eyes, nose, throat, palate or ears; watery eyes; coughing; etc.).
Surprisingly, ragweed multiplies by seeds capable of surviving more than 40 years in the soil, making it one of the most feared allergens in the province.
Treatments are available
Think you may be affected by poison ivy or ragweed? At LeBlanc + Savaria, our team is trained to treat the symptoms of your allergic reactions.
