urticating hair questions....?

codykrr · Jan 31, 2009

ok guys so ive been wondering this for a while now. as we know each species of tarantula that flicks these nasty air born hairs or bristles has diffrent severerities. for instance a T. Blondi is said to have the worst. and some even have really bad reactions to them. i was wondering why and what causes the diffrent effects other than peoples reaction to them. take me for instance....i can let my A. Henzi flick at me all day with no effects not even itching....but my B. smithi makes itch bad...are there diffrences between the hairs or brostles each species carry? and also what and how causes people to get allergic reactions to them?

Aurelia · Jan 31, 2009

There are different types- http://tarantulas.tropica.ru/files/images/urticating_hairs_1.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urticating_hair

Some people are more sensitive than others because everybody has a different immune system.

Endagr8 · Jan 31, 2009

the tkg suggests that it may be a chemical, as well as a physical reaction

codykrr · Jan 31, 2009

thank you, thank explains why some are worse than other but what causes the diffrent allergic type reactions?

codykrr · Jan 31, 2009

endar.....thanks...anyone know of some good readings on this topic. and also...is there any way(this may be far fetched) like when someone is allergic to dog/cats is usually due to the dander...well is there any way a tarantula kicks off "dander" not dander but like soft tissue from there abdomen people may be allergic too? i know the dont have "skin cells" persay but is it possible?

testdasi · Jan 31, 2009

I don't think can have 2 different allergy to the same type of urticating hair.

Two different people can react differently to the same irritant. Two different irritants can have different effects of the same person. And people can be allergic to anything! I have a friend who is allergic tomato!

I guess that answer the question.

Aurelia · Jan 31, 2009

codykrr said:
endar.....thanks...anyone know of some good readings on this topic. and also...is there any way(this may be far fetched) like when someone is allergic to dog/cats is usually due to the dander...well is there any way a tarantula kicks off "dander" not dander but like soft tissue from there abdomen people may be allergic too? i know the dont have "skin cells" persay but is it possible?

Nope. It's all about the u-hairs. We're allergic to cat hair because they lick their hair. It's actually their saliva that we're allergic to.

codykrr · Feb 1, 2009

thanks, i appreciate all the info andfast feedback.....

BACKWOODS · Feb 1, 2009

Urticating hairs

The Tarantula keepers handbook by Shultz and Shultz is a good read and I think there is a lengthy part on u hairs also I think it has something to do with the structure of the certain type of hair!

codykrr · Feb 1, 2009

yes it does, just didnt go into as much detail as i was looking for....but that book is a good read(i read it from front to back) too many times

Endagr8 · Feb 1, 2009

The TKG's take on urticating hairs is located on pages 19-21

Talkenlate04 · Feb 1, 2009

I would rather snort blondi hairs through a straw up both sides of my nose, then rub the abdomen of a molted blondi on my eyelids, before I EVER EVER let ANY PART of an A. bicegoi or something a bicegoi touched touch me again!
I have never been in such pain from a spider. Lots swelling and pain plus it went on for three full days!

xhexdx · Feb 1, 2009

Talkenlate04 said:
I would rather snort blondi hairs through a straw up both sides of my nose, then rub the abdomen of a molted blondi on my eyelids, before I EVER EVER let ANY PART of an A. bicegoi or something a bicegoi touched touch me again!
I have never been in such pain from a spider. Lots swelling and pain plus it went on for three full days!

I bet if you actually did that you would change your mind. ;P

Talkenlate04 · Feb 1, 2009

No not really. I have taken a lot of hair from a blondi before, it does suck I agree, but bicegoi for me is in a different class altogether. I touched the paper towel of the shipping she was packed in and I was in pain and agony for days.

xhexdx · Feb 1, 2009

I have never had any real issue from any tarantula thus far, so I guess I really have nothing to argue about.

D-back · Feb 1, 2009

codykrr said:
what causes the diffrent allergic type reactions?

Hi! As testdasi said, you can be allergic to nearly everything. But to bacome allergic to something, you have to have born predisposition. When you have that born predisposition, your body can develop different allergies during your life. If you have any allergy, you should be more cautious with urticating hairs, because you have a predisposition for allergies...

Talkenlate04 · Feb 1, 2009

D-back said:
Hi! As testdasi said, you can be allergic to nearly everything. But to bacome allergic to something, you have to have born predisposition. When you have that born predisposition, your body can develop different allergies during your life. If you have any allergy, you should be more cautious with urticating hairs, because you have a predisposition for allergies...

This from what I know is not true. I was around Ts a good 10 years or so with no issues at all. Then out of nowhere everything started bothering me and over the last few years the reaction has gotten much worse. Everything I have heard was the hair reaction is progressive with just about everyone. The more often you get haired the closer you get to being like me with my reactions.

Now why its progressive I have no clue at all. But I wish it would undo its progression lol.

Arachnobrian · Feb 1, 2009

Different types of spider hairs, and many different types of human skin to penetrate. I would imagine a wide range of varying effects.

My rough work hands being rather immune, except the soft skin between my fingers. I find them similar to fiberglass insulation fibres, as they irritate me in a similar way.

Never had the opportunity to experience Blondi hairs, but my brachy's have enough to keep me from disturbing them unless needed.

arachnube · Feb 1, 2009

Talkenlate04 said:
This from what I know is not true. I was around Ts a good 10 years or so with no issues at all. Then out of nowhere everything started bothering me and over the last few years the reaction has gotten much worse. Everything I have heard was the hair reaction is progressive with just about everyone. The more often you get haired the closer you get to being like me with my reactions.

Now why its progressive I have no clue at all. But I wish it would undo its progression lol.

Many people develop allergies after being exposed to something over time. On a cellular level it's like a key and key hole. The irritant fits right in to the key hole (your skin/ mucus membranes) and you get an allergic reaction. their is more to it than that but from what I learned that is very basically it. I too wonder about the hair structure and severity. Looking forward to any info anyone can provide about that.

D-back · Feb 1, 2009

Talkenlate04 said:
This from what I know is not true. I was around Ts a good 10 years or so with no issues at all. Then out of nowhere everything started bothering me and over the last few years the reaction has gotten much worse. Everything I have heard was the hair reaction is progressive with just about everyone. The more often you get haired the closer you get to being like me with my reactions.

Now why its progressive I have no clue at all. But I wish it would undo its progression lol.

The development of an allergy can be progressive.......for example, you can eat 2-3 bananas each day for years without any problem, and then you can progressively develop an allergy to bananas........at first you can experience mild symptoms which can progressively worsen to a degree, where you just CAN'T eat bananas anymore.............There are cases, when the development of the allergy is rapid, but despite of the commom misconception, it doesn't have to be rapid....

PS. there is one therapy, which can "undo" the progression, but I'm not sure if it can be done in the case of urticating hairs....( in theory it can be done, but practically, there are some problems with it )....the therapy is called desensitization.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desensitization_(medicine)

The problem is, for desensitisation you have to administer very small amounts of the substance causing the allergy. These small amounts of the substances which commonly causing allergies are produced in laboratories..(the dosing has to be accurate to achieve the positive results and the substance has to be pure )....I think, there aren't commercially available substances for desensitisation in the case of the urticating hairs and I don't know, if the therapy can be done without them ( I had my immunology exam a long time ago, so I can't remember:8o )

PS PS. Sorry for my bad English...

urticating hair questions....?

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