EUGENE, Ore. — Protecting your child’s skin is important, especially in the summer months when more skin is exposed.
The dangers are plentiful, from poison oak, mosquitoes, ticks, stinging insects and spiders. Knowing how to treat common rashes and bites can come in handy this time of year.
Poison oak
Spending time outdoors in Oregon? Beware of poison oak. In the summer, this plant has fuzzy green leaves (with a reddish tint in the early spring and fall) that grow in clusters of three, and the oil it produces causes an allergic reaction when it touches the skin.
Dr. Pilar Bradshaw of Eugene Pediatric Associates says poison oak can be very painful. “It appears on your child’s skin as intensely itchy, bright red blistery patches and lines,” she says…