Allergic reaction to sawdust ?.

[Alycidon]

I have been suffering from what I though was hay fever for the last couple of summers, as I am now 60 the first 58 years were fine.

 

Today I have been running my processor all day, cutting mainly Syc and a bit of Ash which are about 18%-20%, so very dry considering they are still in log form. Processor is outside with the wind at my back blowing away from me.

 

When I started I was fine, not had any issues sneezing for a couple of days, last day processing was Wednesday. However within a couple of hours I was sneezing and had a constant running nose, it occurred to me that this could be a reaction to the dry sawdust and not hay fever at all. I do have a similar reaction from the dust in a grain store.

 

Doing a bit of research on the web it appears that the dust can be quite dangerous and wearing a mask is recommended. I do wear a chainsaw helmet with face guard but not a mask.

 

Cant see that this has had much discussion here, so I assume I am pretty unusual.

 

Any recommendations for a mask, needs to cover nose and mouth, any thoughts on the wider health issue?.

 

Thanks.

 

A

[slackbladder]

Trend airshield pro

Expensive but feeds fresh air to the face

A bit bulky but it works

rechargeable battery which lasts all day

[woodyguy]

Sneezing and runny nose in mid-May is very very likely to be hay fever. The reactions to sawdust are mainly around very fine sanding dust getting deep into your lungs and causing scarring ie they take many years. Some reactions to moulds can occur as you described with corn.

[openspaceman]

Sneezing and runny nose in mid-May is very very likely to be hay fever. The reactions to sawdust are mainly around very fine sanding dust getting deep into your lungs and causing scarring ie they take many years. Some reactions to moulds can occur as you described with corn.

 

I supplied hardwood to a young GP near Shafsbury who was building his own house and he became so sensitised to the wood dust he had to wear dust mask when working. I'd known him since he was an army captain in Kosovo when he had no such problems.

[woodyguy]

If you are interested the attached HSE leaflet lists the species. The only not helpful thing is that it confuses short term allergic reactions (which are unpleasant but not terribly dangerous) with long term effects on lung function with fine hardwood dusts- ie occupational lung diseases for joiners, which is a killer. Still a good starting point.

http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/wis30.pdf

[oldwoodcutter]

Certainly a mask is advised if standing all day over a log splitter in a shed or outdoors on a still air day. I would often cough my guts up after doing that but since wearing a light mask on advice from an expert in that field,my lungs remain dust/spore free.

[difflock]

A lifetime joiner I new a wheen o years ago developed a bad allergy to Iroko (I think it was) in his latter years.

He said "I've been working with Iroko all my life and never been allergic"

I merely said "exactly" i.e. meaning the lifetime exposure sensitised him to the dust.

Was it Iroko? I still remember the pungent peppery smell anyway.

m

[Billhook]

I sometimes have had the same problems with Ash. I always thought of it as a benign wood and never bothered with more than the helmet mesh when working the Lucas Mill! But now I treat it with the same respect that I treat Yew and wear a mask and goggles as my eyes suffer as well.

[gobbypunk]

Hi you really need a dust mask a 3m one would be ok but an airshield one would be ace but a bit bulky as it is a helmet the boss at one of our local wood yards developed emphesema not sure on spelling but lung disease not good wear a MASK when in a dusty enviroment

Cheers Mark

[renewablejohn]

Have mentioned in the past my father died at the age of 50 due to sawdust in the lungs mainly from Lignum Vitae. Be very careful and wear a good quality mask. I also wear engineers glasses to protect the eyes and muffs for the ears.