Ivy

[Rhona]

Our garden is surrounded by a thick ivy fence, which is terrific for bird life and privacy, and we're fine with it remaining aesthetically. Problem is, last year DH chopped at it, as we do all the time, but he was at it for a good while, and for some reason had an awful reaction to the ivy, which neither of us ever had before. He had terrible deep weals all over his arms, chest and legs, which took weeks to go. He's since avoided the ivy of course, but yesterday just brushed lightly against it, and his arm has a weal appearing again.

Is he now totally sensitised to it or something? It's not THAT easy to avoid all the time, as I say, it's pretty much everywhere in our garden!

Any advice? I should add that he's very robust and not a delicate flower normally at all! The only thing I've ever known him to react to badly is accidently watching an episode of Katie and Peter once

[HeyWayne]

Our garden is surrounded by a thick ivy fence, which is terrific for bird life and privacy, and we're fine with it remaining aesthetically. Problem is, last year DH chopped at it, as we do all the time, but he was at it for a good while, and for some reason had an awful reaction to the ivy, which neither of us ever had before. He had terrible deep weals all over his arms, chest and legs, which took weeks to go. He's since avoided the ivy of course, but yesterday just brushed lightly against it, and his arm has a weal appearing again.

Is he now totally sensitised to it or something? It's not THAT easy to avoid all the time, as I say, it's pretty much everywhere in our garden!

Any advice? I should add that he's very robust and not a delicate flower normally at all! The only thing I've ever known him to react to badly is accidently watching an episode of Katie and Peter once

He sounds like all his mental faculties are intact so no worries there. This does remind me somewhat of when my foot blew up like a ballon from an insect bite. Someone told me a theory that our blood "changes" every so many years and that as a result the body reacts differently to irritants. No idea if said theory has any grounding, but it makes sense on some levels.

I react a bit the same with Ivy funnily enough, but never as bad as your hubby it would appear. Never taken anything for it, but I would reach for anthistamine if it happened again.

[Alison Adams]

I had a similar experience ripping out some bindweed this year, with huge itchy lumps (hives maybe ?) and sore red streaks along my arms and legs, just from fairly light contact - never had a reaction to anything before this. I now wear ridiculous elbow length washing up gloves for weeding, it looks like I am going into a biohazard zone !

[di]

He sounds like all his mental faculties are intact so no worries there. This does remind me somewhat of when my foot blew up like a ballon from an insect bite. Someone told me a theory that our blood "changes" every so many years and that as a result the body reacts differently to irritants. No idea if said theory has any grounding, but it makes sense on some levels.

I react a bit the same with Ivy funnily enough, but never as bad as your hubby it would appear. Never taken anything for it, but I would reach for anthistamine if it happened again.

I was told a similar theory when D was about 2.She suddenly developed a severe intolerance to dairy~we were advised to avoid it for a year,which we did & that she'd hopefully outgrow it(she has!)but that it could come back every 7 years but hopefully not as bad.Same person told me hayfever can work like this also,on a 7 year cycle?As you said I don't know how grounded this theory is but that's 2 of us heard it!
Also Rhona,Andi suddenly became "allergic"(never gone to Dr,but isn't that typical bloke!)to Brazil & Walnuts.
One word of advice to hubby "ALWAYS wash handsBEFORE having a pee if he's touched the ivy~the irritant can stay on his hands & not seem to cause a problem until he touches a more sensitive part of skin!)

[lynda66]

One word of advice to hubby "ALWAYS wash handsBEFORE having a pee if he's touched the ivy~the irritant can stay on his hands & not seem to cause a problem until he touches a more sensitive part of skin!)

some people would pay money for that

my son had the same reaction, when i made him a smoothie, turned out to be mango, which is dead annoying as mango's in smoothies are yummy, we spent ages ringing NHS direct and stuff, cos he just woke up the morning after with huge red blobs everywhere .... he's grown out of his sensitivity to oranges, that made him hyperactive, and never shown any other signs since he was a child ........ but last year he developed hay fever too ..... so he can't mow the lawn if it's got too long and flowered.

[di]

some people would pay money for that

my son had the same reaction, when i made him a smoothie, turned out to be mango, which is dead annoying as mango's in smoothies are yummy, we spent ages ringing NHS direct and stuff, cos he just woke up the morning after with huge red blobs everywhere .... he's grown out of his sensitivity to oranges, that made him hyperactive, and never shown any other signs since he was a child ........ but last year he developed hay fever too ..... so he can't mow the lawn if it's got too long and flowered.

Andi suffers really bad with hayfever~not made any better that in the summer months his job involves mowing other peoples lawns at least 2 days a week & on occasions strimming very overgrown footpaths!

[lynda66]

Andi suffers really bad with hayfever~not made any better that in the summer months his job involves mowing other peoples lawns at least 2 days a week & on occasions strimming very overgrown footpaths!

i think he needs to get a gas mask

S10 Gas Mask . British Army Issued (Size 3) on eBay, also Gas Masks, Surplus Equipment, Militaria, Collectables (end time 04-Aug-08 18:32:23 BST)

i think he will look very fetching in it ...... though he might pass out with the heat, at least he won't be sneezing