Possible Wood Allergies

[Rob Grindler]

There are a lot of woods that cause allergic reactions ,here is an article and list : http://www.wood-database.com/wood-ar...-and-toxicity/
I had an allergic reaction last winter,with the rash and itchy skin,my face swelled up to where I could hardly see.Went to the doctor,went through allergy testing and they could not determine what caused it.I always thought it was from wood,so stayed out of the shop for a month and it all cleared up.But since I have noticed when i work with western cedar and walnut,I get itchy.I now own a Trend Airshield Helmet and a turners smock that covers me right up to my neck.

[Jamie Straw]

Thank you for the replies. I'm not looking for medical advice. I wouldn't come to a turning forum for that. I was hoping to find some correlation between my symptoms and wood allergies, since turning and sanding produce so much dust. I thought this might be the place for that.

The scary thing about allergies is that you can have small reactions, then perhaps more bothersome symptoms, and then -- precipitously -- end up in an ambulance on the way to a hospital, or your grave. I've know a couple of people this has happened to. Allergies, beyond common hay fever, are nothing to mess with. And, of course, it's possible your symptoms are related to some other condition.

[Wes Ramsey]

Any wood dust can cause allergies, especially prolonged exposure over time. I had a sinus infection for about 3 months last year. Don't know if it was triggered by wood dust, but it is certainly a likely suspect. One thing that helped me kick it was a neti pot. I avoided it for a while in spite of many folks telling me it works wonders and it sounds plum awful to pour salt water into one nostril and let it flow out the other. But once I tried it I was hooked. It loosens everything in your sinuses and helps you get it out. I've started using it after doing a lot of sanding and it really helps me not feel so stuffy the next day. Might be worth a try.

[Aaron Craven]

I've turned a fair amount of Easter Cedar (Aromatic Cedar, or whatever you want to call it). I've heard both ways (that it's worse than other woods or that it's no different from other woods) w.r.t. causing reactions. I don't know which is true, but the core advice is the same anyway... you can develop an allergy to literally any type of wood, so you have to be careful about exposure (something turners -- myself included -- are very poor about). Even without allergies, I've found cedar to be a bit dustier than other woods and it tends to give me more trouble than others if I breathe too much of the dust.

I know you're not asking for medical advice, but the symptoms you describe are troubling -- especially the loss of taste -- and should not be ignored. If your GP is stumped, ask for a referral (perhaps to an allergist or a dermatologist since you're getting a rash). If you suspect an allergic reaction, that's at least a place to start. They should be able to do a skin test to determine whether you have an allergy to it.

If you think your symptoms are in some way related to woodwork, by the way, you may also want to consider exposure to the various finishes we tend to use. Some of them contain some pretty nasty solvents.

[Brice Rogers]

Last weekend, I went to a demonstration with Mike Mahoney as the guest turner. He mentioned that he turns a lot of Maple and that he has developed an allergy to it. So, during the demo he was wearing a face mask while he was sanding. The room was very large but you could see the plumes of dust flowing past the lights and also the projection video system. Later that evening I noticed that my sinuses were stuffed up. The next day I did more coughing than normal. I'm contemplating bring a dust mask to the next demo.

Interestingly, Mike mentioned that he is NOT allergic to Coco Bolo, which is very high on the allergy scale. Perhaps it is because he doesn't turn very much with that and just has not YET developed a sensitivity to it.