It's the best time of year to be outdoors. It's a season when the weather is warm, school's out, and coats can stay in their closets. It's summer. But for outside workers, summer campers, hikers, gardeners, or the average outdoor-enthusiast, a few enemies are lurking in the brush.

Poison ivy, oak, and sumac are the most common causes of allergic skin reactions by poisonous plants, and in most exposed people, they cause an uncomfortable, and sometimes unbearable, itchy red rash with bumps or blisters. Sturdy Memorial Hospital's Emergency Care Center staff recommend the following tips to prevent these outdoor dangers from putting a damper on your summer:

Portraits of the plants

Source: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

Poison Ivy: Eastern poison ivy is typically a hairy, ropelike vine with three shiny green (or red in the fall) leaves budding from one small stem. The old saying, "Leaves of three, let it be!" is a helpful reminder for identifying poison ivy and oak. Poison Oak: Typically a shrub with leaves of three, similar to poison ivy, poison oak may have yellow or green flowers and clusters of green-yellow or white berries.

Poison Sumac: A woody shrub that has stems that contain 7-13 leaves arranged in pairs, poison sumac may have glossy, pale yellow, or cream-colored berries.

Preventing contact

"Make sure to wear long sleeves, long pants, boots, and gloves when working or playing in wooded areas, and wash exposed clothing separately in hot water with detergent," says Meg Mueller, a board certified emergency care physician at Sturdy Memorial Hospital. If you can't cover your skin with clothing, use barrier skin creams such as a lotion containing bentoquatum, which may offer some protection before contact. "Additionally," Dr. Mueller continues, "do not burn plants that may be poison ivy, poison oak, or poison sumac. Inhaling smoke from these burning plants can cause severe and potentially life-threatening allergic respiratory problems."

Havoc on the skin

Contact with these plants or with objects that have touched them causes an allergic reaction referred to as contact dermatitis. Look for the following symptoms: red rash within a few days of contact; bumps, patches, streaking, or weeping blisters; swelling; and itching. Symptoms usually disappear within two weeks.

First aid or emergency

medical attention

Skin rashes and blisters are not contagious themselves, but the oils from the plants are, which is why "it is important for people who have come in contact with poisonous plants to immediately rinse skin with rubbing alcohol, specialized poison plant washes, degreasing soap such as dishwashing soap or detergent, and plenty of water," says Mueller.

They should also wash clothes, shoes, and tools as soon as possible, and wear disposable gloves during this process. If a rash or blisters appear, apply wet compresses, calamine lotion, or hydrocortisone cream to the skin to reduce itching and blistering, and take an antihistamine such as Benadryl to help relieve itching. Call 911 or visit Sturdy Memorial Hospital's Emergency Care Center, open 24 hours a day, if you are suffering a severe allergic reaction such as swelling or difficulty breathing, and have had a severe reaction in the past. For more information about poison ivy, oak, and sumac, visit the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health at www.cdc.gov/niosh/.