This Sunday, Wayne and I went hiking in the Palisades, had a short Blair-Witch moment as the sun was going down and we were having a hard time making our way out of the woods. At one point, we were standing in a dried-up river bed, having retraced our steps a few times, looking each way at four paths, and still having no idea which one to take.
Then, out of one path casually walks a couple--they showed us the way.
I don't know if it was my doubt that poison-oak could grow in California or my abandon as we tried to run out of the thicket that struck the final blow, but, wouldn't you know it--2 days later i have poison-oak all over my legs.
This silly urishoil (whose name comes from the Japanese word for laquer) that comes from a silly doily-leaved vine. It won't come off.
From HOWSTUFFWORKS: Urushiol makes its way down through the skin, where it is metabolized, or broken down. Immune cells called T lymphocytes (or T-cells) recognize the urushiol derivatives as a foreign substance, or antigen. They send out inflammatory signals called cytokines, which bring in white blood cells. Under orders from the cytokines, these white blood cells turn into macrophages. The macrophages eat foreign substances, but in doing so they also damage normal tissue, resulting in the skin inflammation that occurs with poison-oak.
Beware! It will trick your immune system, too, if you're not careful!
Anyone know how this antagonistic relationship with plants evolved?
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This Sunday, Wayne and I went hiking in the Palisades, had a short Blair-Witch moment as the sun was going down and we were having a hard time making our way out of the woods. At one point, we were standing in a dried-up river bed, having retraced our steps a few times, looking each way at four paths, and still having no idea which one to take.
Then, out of one path casually walks a couple--they showed us the way.
I don't know if it was my doubt that poison-oak could grow in California or my abandon as we tried to run out of the thicket that struck the final blow, but, wouldn't you know it--2 days later i have poison-oak all over my legs.
This silly urishoil (whose name comes from the Japanese word for laquer) that comes from a silly doily-leaved vine. It won't come off.
From HOWSTUFFWORKS: Urushiol makes its way down through the skin, where it is metabolized, or broken down. Immune cells called T lymphocytes (or T-cells) recognize the urushiol derivatives as a foreign substance, or antigen. They send out inflammatory signals called cytokines, which bring in white blood cells. Under orders from the cytokines, these white blood cells turn into macrophages. The macrophages eat foreign substances, but in doing so they also damage normal tissue, resulting in the skin inflammation that occurs with poison-oak.
Beware! It will trick your immune system, too, if you're not careful!
Anyone know how this antagonistic relationship with plants evolved?
i just got poison ivy last month, hiking in the appalachain mountains. My advice--soak in a bath of oatmeal. Sound weird, but works!
ReplyDeleteI feel your pain.
ReplyDelete