A lawyer, Steven C. Beer serves as a partner at Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard and Smith LLP, New York. There, he represents music and television firms; helping television and film projects with negotiating rights deals. In addition to his career as a lawyer, Steven C. Beer enjoys hiking.
According to the Statista Research Department, around 29.86 million people in America hiked in 2006; the number increased to around 57.81 million 14 years later. As hiking increases in popularity, so do the risks associated become more prevalent. Prospective hikers should observe the necessary safety precautions to avoid problems.
Hiking has several safety precautions; a crucial one is to avoid touching poison oaks. Also known as Toxicodendron pubescens, poison oaks are shrubs with leaves that possess three leaflets (smaller leaves). In addition, these leaves may have hairs surrounding them.
You can find poison oaks on any hiking trail; coming in contact with them might be dangerous. The leaves of these shrubs have a poisonous chemical called urushiol. Once you touch poison oak, the chemical may infect you, leading to skin inflammation, redness, or blisters, among other conditions. For some people, the effect may take a few hours to begin, while it may take days for others.
Further, the effects of these shrubs may be far-reaching as you can become less productive. For instance, the poison oaks have made several firefighters in California unable to work. To prevent the dangers of these plants, it would be best to look out for them when hiking.
Also, you should put on sleeves and appropriate hiking clothing to protect your skin; try to wash your hands as soon as you touch poison oaks. However, if you begin to experience the symptoms mentioned earlier, applying calamine lotion to the affected area might help.
