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I'm getting allergic to wood ... how to master it

S

squirrel

Joined
Sep 27, 2007
Messages
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Location
Belgium
Hi,


I was cutting very wet maple with the chainsaw for a couple of days, also did some turning with it and guess .... I'm sneezing and feeling ill already for a couple of weeks. It is getting worse and worse!

I'll buy myself now a 5 pk exhauster (marque Felder) for chips and I will buy myself a jsp powercap lite IP. I hope this will help.

Is there somebody who is highly allergic as well and is it possible to master it and how?
And ... how does this allergy goes away ... I have not been in the workshop for three days but I find it hardly make any difference. I probably will have to see a doctor and take some medicines ...

I mentioned already a couple of months that I was getting more sensitive and I had the intention to buy this machines next year (big cost) but now ... all at once ... too long if I wait till next year.

Thanks - Squirrel.
 
Squirrel,
I went through the very same thing last week and should have gone to the doctor right away but my wife said to wear it out and not to be such a baby.
I coughed and coughed, couldn't get any sleep, and felt terrible for a week longer and then I went. He was facinated with bowl turning and made me tell him all about it before giving me a perscription for brochial ashma. He said to wear a mask every time I went in the shop.
a Z-pak for the ashma and an antibiotic for infection in my lungs.
I tool another week to get over it. Gary🙁
 
I don't have coughing and sneezing issues related to turning wood.....but, I do have some reaction to wood dust on my face and chest when I spend long hours and days at the lathe. With flareups, sometimes I get some relief with the application of anti-fungal cream (athletes foot medication) directly. This would seem to indicate an external reaction, rather than an internal allergic reaction......I think.

For internal considerations, I use several respirators, and a powered Airstream respirator at those times when I create dust that could be breathed in. I would probably benefit from using one of these respirators ALL the time, but much of the time, I get involved in what I'm doing and forget to do that until sometime after I should have......🙁

As others have stated, seek medical advice if you think lingering coughing and sneezing is related to your lathe work.......

ooc
 
Copd

Don't fool around with it, go see the doctor.
I was diagnosed with COPD, (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) last week, now I must be very careful around dust of any kind.
Last year I had a sinus infection and it took about a month to get over it.
I did a little sanding two days ago and my sinus's are inflamed to the point where I will be calling the doctor tomorrow. The dust collector helps, but I need to get an air helmet, if I am to continue to work wood in any way.

Jim
 
Wet wood. Was the weather also wet? When you see the doctor, hopefully s/he says it's mold, not the wood. If your lungs are inflamed, they become more vulnerable to the bacteria that naturally live there, so flu-like symptoms might persist.

Many people develop sensitivities as they age, which most of us prefer to the alternative.
 
Hi,

the weather was nice, but off course a bit wet because of the season.
I had to stay in my bed today - feels like flu. Why do you think it is better that the mold is the reason than the wood? The maple had some mold, indeed.
I am astonished because there was no dust, only fresh air and fresh, very wet wood! ... as you said, I'm getting sick more easy now because I'm getting older ... since a couple of years ... never was sick in whole my life before ... but I have to live with that like we all have to do.

I found a cap 414 gr light, working with lithium batteries, company jsp - UK, name powercap lite impact protection wipeable 8 hours rechargeable . I think it can be good for all of us.
 
Mold spores are the normal irritant, and they are in the bark and cambium. Hose the bark down before cutting, remove before turning, and you may have no problems at all. Except, of course during wet weather with old bark and leaves to grow more mold. You have no known allergies to mold or antibiotics?

On the other hand, it might be the sneeze from that guy on the trolley, and pure coincidence that you were cutting when the incubation period ended. I'm still a bit congested after a week because my granddaughters kindly passed on their colds to me.
 
Every year, like clockwork, I come down with a sinus infection...usually in the fall, when yard work tapers off, and I start making sawdust in my spare time. For years, I thought it was some sort of allergy to sawdust, and went to extreme lengths to protect myself...but it never seemed to help.

Then, after a lot of discussions with my doc, I realized it was most likely 1) an allergic reaction to mold from decomposing leaves in the fall (that I usually ignore), that 2) eventually turned into a full blown sinus infection.

The lesson for me, was that the "trigger" for the initial allergy and physical reaction had nothing to do with what I thought. Allergies typically happen really fast, and are easy to ignore. Then, after some time, they turn into something else that has nothing to do with the original allergy.
 
Squirrel

Sounds like it could be a fungal infection. This can be very tough to treat, caustic medications that need to be taken a long time (months). See your doctor as soon as possible. Your pulmonary health is of primary importance, do not wait for this to get better, as it may only get worse. Seek help.

Howard
 
Howard Beaver said:
Squirrel

Sounds like it could be a fungal infection. This can be very tough to treat, caustic medications that need to be taken a long time (months). See your doctor as soon as possible. Your pulmonary health is of primary importance, do not wait for this to get better, as it may only get worse. Seek help.

Howard
Click to expand...

I thought that it would be treated with antibiotics. I thought that caustic medications implies something like a tissue attacking drug used in chemotherapy.
 
I have allergies and asthma, not related to wood or woodworking, thank goodness. You need to see a doctor- NOW! Allergies do not go away, believe me. Ask if you need a referral to a specialist in allergy and immunology. Find out what is happening and how to deal with it. I had to take a series of shots over a period of several years to lessen the effects of my allergies, which is just about any tree or grass pollen. Worse case- you might have to quit woodworking.
 
Last edited:
Bill

Bill Boehme said:
I thought that it would be treated with antibiotics. I thought that caustic medications implies something like a tissue attacking drug used in chemotherapy.
Click to expand...

As MM stated, additionally, antifungals have more frequently occurring and stronger unwanted side affects then most antibacterials, coupled with a significantly longer treatment time and the result is a decrease in patient compliance. Because of these factors it is much more difficult to successfully treat a fungal infection than a bacterial infection.

Howard
 
Have you contacted a doctor yet? Don't wait. These things don't clear up by themselves. BTW, allergies aren't cured- only controlled by medication, as in my case.
 
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