Dermatitis

This doesn't happen every time, but sometimes I get an itchy rash around my ankles when I've been kneeling in the leaves. I use a kneeling pad, so don't have the problem anywhere else.

We collect 100+ bags of leaves from around the neighborhood in the fall and scatter them between our vegetable rows.

Does anyone know of a particular leaf (or leaves) that can cause dermatitis? I don't think it's poison ivy - I know what those leaves look like.

I also don't think it's ant bites, because the itchyness starts several hours later - especially at night!

Thanks

Are you sure it's the leaves? I have the same thing happen from grass - if I mow the lawn without bagging and have shorts on, or if I walk through grass high enough to brush my bare ankles, my ankles itch like crazy starting that evening. If there is grass under the leaves you're collecting maybe you are having contact with it if kneeling in it for a long time?? Just an idea....

Could be anything-- there are a number of plants that carry oils etc that may irritate the skin, plus you could be allergic to a plant that doesn't normally bother other folks. I don't think you could possibly figure out what is causing it, since you don't know what is in the leaves. I'd just wear long pants and socks, and tuck the pants into the socks. Wash the pants and socks in hot, soapy water afterwards (though if it is poison ivy, one washing may not be enough).

After washing legs & feet well, I would also rinse with vinegar.

Thanks for all the input.

I'll try the vinegar - my co-workers will think I'm a salad LOL

I get a reaction to lots of different kinds of leaves, most particularly those with the fine little fuzzy leaves. Beans, squash, tomatoes, zinnias will all set me off, to name just a few. Long sleeve shirts are my friends, but it is sort of crazy-making...

podster, thanks for the vinegar suggestion! I'll give it a try too next time I'm not careful enough about keeping cut grass off my ankles!

I get this when I walk through the grass without socks on. To stop the itchies, I put tea tree oil on the spots that are bothering me. Works like a charm!

Thanks stephanietx! Glad to hear I'm not the only one, and thank you for another anti-itch suggestion!

Tea tree oil is excellent, I use tea tree shampoo to help my psoriasis. The itchiness is probably a histamine reaction to something in the leaves, possibly tannic acid. Benadryl will help relive that. I use a mild dish detergent, soap up, and let it dry before I do something that causes that type of reaction. That seems to block oils and such from the skin and makes washing them off easy. Ric

Just a shot in the dark. Could it be chiggers?

http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/2100.html

Ohhh... chiggers! Don't tempt fate by mentioning them. Hadn't had them yet this spring. lol

I use the vinegar as it was suggested to neutralize poison ivy. Scrubbing first with soap & water. Then swabbing with vinegar. Then on the affected spots, I apply Tea Tree oil and that process works better than anything else I've tried. Can't seem to stay out of it these days and when younger it bothered me not at all.

Not that you are into PI but the vinegar is worth a try...

Okay - I've tracked down the culprit...

It's chlorine bleach! I have old white socks that have been washed in water that includes bleach, and some newer colored socks that get washed without!

Which explains why I only got the itchys sometimes.

It's a long story as to how I tracked this down - won't bore you with the details. The offending socks are now history!

Do you use regular white vinegar or cider vinegar, or does it matter?

I've used both and don't think it makes any difference.