Monday, August 02, 2010
In susceptible individuals, poison ivy causes allergic contact dermatitis. While contact may be apparent and avoidable in many cases, it may not be so when clearing brush at the end of the season, and can cause breathing problems if an allergic person inhales smoke from burning brush with poison ivy. Interestingly, the compound that causes the reaction, urushiol, is also found in poison oak and sumac. What few people know if that it is also in the skins of mango fruit!
For more information on the Allergen of the Month feature, see the overview, and check out the previous post on latex.
7 Tips for Dealing with Seasonal Allergies 
10 Things to Know About Food Allergies in the Classroom 
Seasonal vs. Year-Round Allergies 
Are You Allergic to These 10 Everyday Items? 
