ACK! Urticating Hairs in my EYE!

becca81

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I was feeding my A. seemani and when I lifted up the plexiglass lid, it slipped from my fingers and slammed down into the cage. I was scared thinking about what would have happened if the T had been underneath it at that time, so I started to fish it out. I had to move some substrate around and the T came out and didn't seem too happy. I was trying to get everything put back together and I had my face right over the tank (stupid me).

The next thing I know my eyes start to really itch and so does the rest of my face and hands!

This was about 10 minutes ago. I've taken my contacts out and washed my face and hands. However, my nose itches (on the inside) and my eyes are still burning. My hands are a little itchy but not too bad.

What can I do to stop the itching? I've done the hot water on my hands to loosen up the pores so the hairs will fall out. What about my eyes??? They are burning like crazy!
 

CedrikG

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Heuuu .... I suggest you to go see a doctor ... as soon as you can, im reading that it causes severe dmg to the cornea and organe around
 
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MilkmanWes

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becca81 said:
What can I do to stop the itching? I've done the hot water on my hands to loosen up the pores so the hairs will fall out. What about my eyes??? They are burning like crazy!
You may need to flush them with water repeatedly for 15 minutes and if it does not alleviate the symptoms you may want to consider medical attention. Just don't drive yourself if you can't see!
 

Windchaser

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Flush your eye with water ASAP. Also, DO NOT RUB your eye. If you have the TKG, refer to page 21. Urticating hairs in your eye can be very serious.
 

becca81

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They still really itch, but I've washed them out a few times.

By coincidence, I just received a shipment yesterday at my house for a few supplies for our science lab at school. One of the things just happened to be a bottle for flushing eyes if you get chemicals in them. I've used that and hopefully they'll calm down. One eye is kind of red and the other doesn't look too bad.
 

Cirith Ungol

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At a previous workplace we had an eye shower for the case that you got metal pieces flung into your eyes. As far as I know you should not rub your eyes now!
To be on the safe side go to the hospital asap! There is nothing safer than that!

If for any reason you can't or don't want to I tell you how the eye shower worked. If you want to try reproducing it with your regular shower, do so at your own risk (please don't hold me responsible if it doesn't turn out as you've hoped!) As stated before, the best and safest help is at the hospital.
But here it goes (Again, I wanna help, but only do this if this is the only way, because I know that it works with tiny metal pieces, but I don't know what happens with utricating hairs! Enough warnings and disclaimers):

Lean your head over the bathtub or whatever you have, turn on the water for the shower, but obviously not much, just so you get a gentle stream of water that spurts upwards, Close one eye and now shower the other. You obviously have to have the showered eye open. It might burn and feel really aquard but you have to keep staring into the stream of water. Do so for a minute and then pause and wait for 5 minutes, do again if nessessary. Don't role your eyeball at the first time. Maybe the second time, in case you think it helps. See to it that you somehow keep the other eye out of the way from the water that runs down your nose/face after it has washed the open eye. It might carry hairs and you don't want them to get stuck in the other eye.

Good luck (and I hope you get well quick and without complications)
 

CherishYour_f8

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I got the itchy hairs while playing with my rose molt a week ago.They are inbetween my fingers webbing and now on my neck.Cripes,how long does this last?
 

becca81

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Well, these things act pretty fast. My left eye is pretty clean, I think. However, my right eye is starting to swell up and is already really red. My mom used to work for a doctor in our area, and I just called him. He said I needed to come see him, so I'm going to go see him at the hospital and see if they can do anything.

It's going to be a long night...
 

CedrikG

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hahaha ... sorry make's me laugh a little ... well you will learn of this experience, im learing too
 

Cigarman

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They may give you a boric acid eyewash since it helps cleanse the eye surface and makes it feel better. Hope your peeper gets better. :(
 

CedrikG

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yeah I say its funny but its verry not if you get injured by that :embarrassed: ... well I think you all understand that
 

bagheera

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Eye flush is good. I might also suggest that you get some sort of antihistamine into your system. At very least you are loking at (through) a histamine reaction, at worst there is likely to be some allergic reaction. Allegra, Benadryl, whatever is handy! Artificial tears are also great.

G' luck.
 

Tony

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becca81 said:
This was about 10 minutes ago. I've taken my contacts out and washed my face and hands. However, my nose itches (on the inside) and my eyes are still burning. My hands are a little itchy but not too bad.

What can I do to stop the itching? I've done the hot water on my hands to loosen up the pores so the hairs will fall out. What about my eyes??? They are burning like crazy!
AFIK, it isnt hairs stuck in the pores...The hairs are barbed and lodged in the skin itself....Time works, for both...And I have had odd eye irriation before....Going to the doctor? They may be dealing with hair they can't even see, much less remove....But be safe rather that sorry..
T
 

becca81

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Wow!

I have never been in and out of anywhere that fast! It's good to know people...

The doctor put something in my eye and said that I had a scratch on it, I may have scratched it while rubbing it like crazy. He also flushed it with something that he said he used on people who get tiny pieces of glass shards in their eyes. It feels much better, although I've been instructed to not rub it. As for my nose and hands, they said that would just have to clear up on its own and it shouldn't present a long-term problem (although it still itches).

He said he saw some hairs (or what looked like hairs) in my eye, but since he has never dealt with this before he didn't know exactly what he was looking for.

It took me all of 20 minutes, in and out.

Heh, one of the nurses came and asked me what had happened. I told her and the look on her face was priceless! She looked around and said, "Is it with you?" She also thought that I was bitten in the eye by a tarantula and said, "You really shouldn't have that thing. I guess you just learned the hard way about them jumping up and biting you. I've heard about it dozens of times..."

This was certainly a learning experience. Now I can't wear my contacts for a few days while the scratch heals and the doctor recommend me wearing gloves when working in the T's enclosure.

Oh well, I thought I would be out till midnight. Thanks for the well-wishes. I appreciate it!
 

becca81

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bagheera said:
Eye flush is good. I might also suggest that you get some sort of antihistamine into your system. At very least you are loking at (through) a histamine reaction, at worst there is likely to be some allergic reaction. Allegra, Benadryl, whatever is handy! Artificial tears are also great.

G' luck.
Yeah, the doc also said that my allergies and asthma aren't helping the situation. I'm pretty much allergic to anything with hair or fur (cats, dogs, etc.) I've got some benedryl that I took so hopefully that'll help clear it up.
 

Windchaser

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Best of luck with your recovery. Definitely go see an opthalmologist if it gets worse. The eye is one place that a urticating hair can be a serious issue.
 

druid8783

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becca81 said:
Heh, one of the nurses came and asked me what had happened. I told her and the look on her face was priceless! She looked around and said, "Is it with you?" She also thought that I was bitten in the eye by a tarantula and said, "You really shouldn't have that thing. I guess you just learned the hard way about them jumping up and biting you. I've heard about it dozens of times..."
{D

I guess they get a lot of cases where T's jump up and bite people in the eye? LOL

I'm glad nothing too serious happened! You've definately made me more careful about leaning over my T enclosures.

I hope you have a speedy recovery!
 

Sterlingspider

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Glad to hear you're doing OK, a scratched cornea is nothing to sneeze at, relatively minor but NOT pleasent.

Good to know somthing like this can be handled so quickly. Its so funny how health care workers will often just assume the worst of people with odd hobbies.

My brother was in the hospital after a motorcycle accident with a type of leg fracture which is very commonly associated with skiing. The nurses were very non judgemental and accepting of the idea he might have gotten it skiing, but the minute he told them it was from a motorcycle crash they would go off on how stupid he was to even ride it. :? People are funny that way.
 
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