For example, if I eat a piece of poison ivy, will the effects be the same as drinking a harmful substance such as nail polish remover or laundry detergent?
...or will my mouth just be very itchy for a bit?
2006-08-23 13:25:15 · 15 answers · asked by aanstalokaniskiodov_nikolai 5 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Botany
Poison ivy reactions are allergic reactions & will vary from person to person & from plant to plant.
I would not reccomend eating any part of poison ivy. If you are one of the unfortunates severaly allergic to it, your throat could swell up to the point you couldn't breathe & you might possibly die.
Ironically some animals can eat the stuff all day long & it won't affect them. I know of some tortoise keepers who swear their tortoise seek out poison ivy to eat & show no ill affects.
2006-08-24 17:41:04 · answer #1 · answered by carl l 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
People exhibit varying levels of sensitivity to poison ivy. While poison ivy might not be as toxic as another item such as you mentioned, it has the potential to cause other reactions (such as a swollen tongue, eyes, airway, etc.) A swollen airway could prove fatal, as you might imagine. In addition, some people experience an extreme reaction to poison ivy, even if it only touches the skin, which can cause the same symptoms. On the whole, poison ivy is best avoided completely.
2006-08-23 15:28:37 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I am an MD. Deaths have occurred from poison Ivy. The usual cause of death is when someone unknowingly burns it and then inhales the smoke. The lungs essentially become so inflamed that they essentially shut down, resulting in death. Eating it is probably not going to kill you, but you could develop such a raw inner mouth that other bacteria would enter your bloodstream through the ravaged areas and cause sepsis, followed by death. I wouldn't try it unless you are suicidal, and then there are more pleasant ways to go..... The worst case of poison ivy I ever saw was from a young man and a young woman attending a nighttime pool party. They got to flirting and then ran off into the woods pulling each other's bathing suits off and then having wild sex in it, essentially all around and all over them. It was dark so they didn't realize it until the rash broke out ~1-2 days later. Needless to say they required hospitalization, but they both lived.
2006-08-23 13:47:05 · answer #3 · answered by Sciencenut 7 · 5⤊ 0⤋
All parts of poison ivy (roots, berries, leaves etc) contain an oil that most (but not all) humans develop an irritating rash from. Normally the only real serious health issues are from secondary infections from open blisters unless it gets in your eyes. Breathing smoke from burning poison ivy can cause serious lung irritation also. In some aras, folk medicine claims that eating poison ivy in small amounts over an extended period of time will make you imune to the effects, but most medical professionals scoff at the idea. Other animals, especially birds, use poison ivy as a food source regularly.
2006-08-23 13:35:08 · answer #4 · answered by Now and Then Comes a Thought 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Poison Ivy causes irritation to the membranes of skin and that should include your stomach.
That is why you should never burn poison ivy or poison oak. The smoke from the burning also contains the irritant and when breathed into the lungs can actually kill a person.
It is not poisonous in the same sense as lye, carbon monoxide, or cyanide, but it will kill you if you get enough of it.
2006-08-23 13:30:10 · answer #5 · answered by Alan Turing 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I don't think you will die from EATING the plant, but the inside of your throat may get such a violent reaction to it that you may be unable to eat or drink (if you don't get medication) and you'll starve to death. I'm not 100% sure of that though, but I still wouldn't eat poison ivy.
2006-08-23 13:27:47 · answer #6 · answered by Isis-sama 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would definitely recommend NOT ingesting any part of the poison ivy plant. Poison ivy contains urushiol, a type of oil that can cause a reaction in 90% of the population. Urushiol can be highly toxic (this is why cashews are cooked to make them edible)...in fact, breathing the oil (as what happens if you burn poison ivy in brushfires) can cause a life threatening reaction.
So if you see leaves of three, DEFINITELY let them be!
2006-08-25 06:27:07 · answer #7 · answered by swilliamrex 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i had a horrible case of poison ivy when i was a kid, and i was put on steroids.. i really dont remember what they did for me, but the regular medicine wasnt cutting it.. i had an itchy rash all over my body and my feet and couldn't walk because it hurt so bad from the pressure on the blisters.. i was pretty much bed ridden for a few days... going to a hospital was not an option because of the excrusiating pain, so we had to have a doctor come to my house.. i didn't eat it, and i don't remember how i got it.. i would also love to forget about it..
2006-08-24 21:38:12 · answer #8 · answered by boogiewoogiewoo000 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
U eat a piece of poison ivy ,it is not such harmful. so u can better taste a piece of cyanide
2006-08-23 13:41:29 · answer #9 · answered by nj 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I dont know if eating it is a good idea, but i do know that it can survive in your clothes for a long period of time, especially if you do not use the clothes. I know you need to wash the clothes a few times and possibly use certain chemicals. Ask your pharmacist. They have some great new stuff better than calimine lotion that actually gets rid of it fast. It cost about $40
2006-08-23 18:03:40 · answer #10 · answered by diamondmound 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋