This is not a problem I have encountered. But a Brother of a friend of mine has gotten some nasty burns from hogweed sap while doing some garden clearing. I know he's been to the doctor and gotten some ointment but it does very little. I think he's going back to the docs but any hints or tips on how to soothe these burns would be useful as I can pass the info back to him.
Many thanks
Jack
Last edited by Metal mug; 12-08-2014 at 09:12 AM. Reason: spelling
Do you want to be happy or do you want to be normal?
It's reactive to sunlight ( I think they're called flurocoumarins) check the spelling, but once it's in your skin there's not really much can be done, make sure he gets help from a dermatologist as a GP wouldn't have a clue about this.
Okay I'll pass this on. Thanks.Originally Posted by luresalive
Do you want to be happy or do you want to be normal?
Check out this site too, it gives good insight into the burns and what to do.. oh, and the stuff in the sap that causes the burns is Furanocoumarin or furocoumarin (knew I hadn't spelt it right!)
http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/72556.html
Yep, over here in the States we call it 'Giant Cow Parsnip'. Used to be a popular ornamental, but now forbidden to sell or transplant across the country.
Phyto-photodermatitis is NOT fun...
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hateful stuff. Make sure he keeps the infected area coverered up and out of natural or even artificial light. while getting treatment for a long time to avoid photodermatitis
Thanks for all the replies. I think he's getting it checked out by a specialist now.
Do you want to be happy or do you want to be normal?
That stuff grows everywhere around here too. Some places are completely owergrown with it. Outside town we have a n old cultural area, with an old church from the 12th century, viking museum, ruins hailing to the viking age, bronze age burial mounds etc. The area was completely owvergrown with these and other unwanted weeds. What they did was introduce goats at first to bring this old farmland back to what it used to be...open fields etc. Then sheep and some cows to keep it that way. I.e the traditional cultural landscape is back. And the nasty stuff is gone...
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