"Hay fever" from saw dust?

Have spent some time the last few days sanding my puny teapot handles. Not terribly rigorous with safety precautions because they are only puny little tea pot handles and I don't even have a proper workshop yet. So now I have kind of hay fever type symptoms, and the skin on my face feels like what a friend of mine use to call "hurty skin". (Kinda like sunburn only without the sun.) So is some or all of the wood dust causing this? I didn't think I was using any of the more irritating ones. (Although I will admit too a few swear words expressing the other type of irritation. B(**%# tools. Get another band aide.) Can ANY wood cause this type of irritation?

I think the woods I'm using are; Australian walnut, Myrtle, Sassafras, some sort of eucalypt burl, and black wood. I haven't used any of the black bean I had because I read in another thread that others had had reactions to it in a bad way.

And what about the dust from the glue I am using for the laminating. Urea formaldehyde. Is that toxic too in dust form? Probably is, or may as well be.

So do I bring out the dust masks etc? (Dumb question. The answer is yes isn't it?) How long can I expect the symptoms to last for? Should I go to the doctor?

Blackwood can cause Dermatitis, asthma, irritation to nose and throat
Depending on what Myrtle you're using Irritation to mucous membranes
Walnut is known to cause allergies as well, not to mention the Urea Formaldehyde. I know of someone, who just had to touch the lid on my container and straight away his fingers started tingling.

Definitely need to wear a dusk mask at a minimum.

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Originally Posted by tea lady

Have spent some time the last few days sanding my puny teapot handles. Not terribly rigorous with safety precautions because they are only puny little tea pot handles and I don't even have a proper workshop yet. So now I have kind of hay fever type symptoms, and the skin on my face feels like what a friend of mine use to call "hurty skin". (Kinda like sunburn only without the sun.) So is some or all of the wood dust causing this?

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Yes

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Originally Posted by tea lady

I didn't think I was using any of the more irritating ones. (Although I will admit too a few swear words expressing the other type of irritation. B(**%# tools. Get another band aide.) Can ANY wood cause this type of irritation?

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Yes

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Originally Posted by tea lady

I think the woods I'm using are; Australian walnut, Myrtle, Sassafras, some sort of eucalypt burl, and black wood. I haven't used any of the black bean I had because I read in another thread that others had had reactions to it in a bad way.

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Yes

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Originally Posted by tea lady

And what about the dust from the glue I am using for the laminating. Urea formaldehyde. Is that toxic too in dust form? Probably is, or may as well be.

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Yes

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Originally Posted by tea lady

So do I bring out the dust masks etc? (Dumb question. The answer is yes isn't it?) How long can I expect the symptoms to last for? Should I go to the doctor?

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Yes

TeaLady, how do you know it is not a food allergy?

Should you go to a doctor, yes but I doubt that you will get a definite reply.

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Originally Posted by jow104

TeaLady, how do you know it is not a food allergy?

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I guess I don't but I haven't eaten anything different lately, and all symptoms localised round my head, eyes, nose, throat. I've never really had food allergy like this before. Sometimes get "hurty skin" if I eat kiwi fruit every day for a week. Allergic to dust mites and cat hair. Just your basic run o' the mill cot case really. Last time I did a batch of sanding it didn't effect me. Wondered what all the fuss was about. What's a bit of saw dust any way. Completely natural........So is arsenic and snake bite though.

So what will the doctor say? Hmm yes, reaction to saw dust. If it doesn't go away in a few days come back? Or is there some sort of medication that can settle reaction down? (anti histamines?) How long will the reaction last?

It might be time to do some testing yourself to identify the source of the problem by using in a small dose just one of the suspects and none of the others for 24 hours.

First I have to wait for this reaction to settle down. Still sneezing. Only been 24 hours.:C I think I'll just use dust mask ,gloves. Dig out plastic coated apron so clothes not covered in dust. Get proper workshop area set up.(Builder coming to finish this week.:2tsup:) Actually clean up dust now I know its not that nice. (Can you put barrier cream on face?)

I use a respirator (blue silicon) and barrier cream on the hands, although usually the hands aren't a problem.

Don't use a cheap dust mask, they are next to useless.

The biggest problem I ever have is when hand sanding small parts, because I just take it for granted that I won't be kicking up any dust, so I get slack.

It's only a pain for a while, then it becomes second nature.

Cheers,

P
:cool:

You can't be too careful as you could also initiate a whole bunch of other allergies by just developing this one.

How long does it last?

In 2002 while I was making a large desk out of MDF I lost my sense of smell for 6 weeks, couldn't taste anything properly - beer tasted like puke, apples tasted like potatoes or onions, bread tasted like plastic, I was a mess. I wasn't even doing this inside a shed but under a back veranda so I though the open air would be relatively safe. Now even a whiff of MDF dust gets me gagging so I try to avoid even using it at all.

Tea Lady, you can never take to much precaution against dust ,and please dont underestimate its potential to DO YOU HARM.....

dust mask, yes......barrier cream, yes ....protective eyewear, yes ....all these help, but a good dust extraction system works too ...working in confined spaces does make it hard to avoid dust, but if you adopt clean practises you will live a lot healthier.....

try TELNASE.....its available over the counter and should give you some relief ..

Thanks guys. Sinuses gradually settling down. Off to buy proper dust mask. I need to use them with ceramics too. I did a good job of picking all toxic woods.

Aaah, nature!! Its a beautiful thing. Either that or its a jungle.:oo:

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Originally Posted by bitingmidge

I use a respirator (blue silicon) ...

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Originally Posted by tea lady

.... Off to buy proper dust mask. ....

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3M make a good on, about $100, you will find it at safety supplies. :2tsup:

If you can't afford some sort of dust extraction or air cleaner, set up a fan so it blows past you, over the job & out the door.

Tea lady, you could help your situation by using a fan to take away the fines. Worth a try.

Regards Mike

A fan could be the go as I do not really have a whole studio for the woodwork, only a corner with a bench in it. So the expence of a dust extractor seems a bit much. Either that or join a wood working club so can leave dust somewhere else.:D Probably do that anyway for the wood turning.:2tsup: Look out guys. Girrrl invasion.:p