But if you've ever broken out in welts from brushing against poison ivy, or seen a telephone pole swallowed up by a Kudzu vine, well, you know plants do things.
An itch can begin when a substance (such as an oil in poison ivy) activates mast cells. These immune cells release itch signals and kick off inflammation. Scratching boosts that process, the new study suggests.
When it comes to plants like poison ivy or poison oak, you may have heard this rule: " Leaves of three, let it be." If you haven't, that's a good rule to know.
While an asthma attack, poison ivy welts, and irritable bowel syndrome might seem totally unrelated, they all have something in common: an immune response that's doing more harm than good.
But because of the delayed timing, it’s thought to be similar to a poison ivy reaction, which activates immune cells called helper and killer T cells and causes inflammation.