Inspired by the small yet extremely annoying rash on my hand right now. What is actually happening to you when you are infected with poison ivy and why?
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Poison ivy contains a chemical compound called urushiol. It isn’t an inherently harmful chemical in and of itself, but it causes an allergic reaction in the vast majority of people. The allergy is so super common that it’s barely even considered as an allergy.
Fun fact: Years ago, the TV show Mythbusters wanted to test folk remedies for poison ivy, and they found out much to their surprise that most of their cast was not allergic.
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