Wood Allergies and Toxicity

19 Responses to “Wood Allergies and Toxicity”

1. 
   Meghan Petersen
   October 25th, 2009 at 4:32 pm

   I sleep with a wooden headboard (pine) and my PC is a wood piece (white wash pine)of furniture. Is there any way a piece of furniture could cause allergic reactions? I get up fuzzy swollen eyes, sneezing, coughing, runny nose, and wheezing. The bedroom has been cleared out throughly with an air purifier, laminate floors, mattress encased in a allergy bag, pillow in an alergy bag. New air filters are being put in constanstly and I did the 5 years of shots many years ago. I still have extreme allergies every morning. The sheets and comforter are washed every week-end and a couple of times a week I heat up my pillow in the dryer to kill whatever dust mite might be lurking in the fibers. I heard once some guy had problems because of his wooden furniture. Do you think this is my case? Please advise of forward me to someone who may have some light on this subject. I totally appreciate you time and efforts in the matter. Meghan

2. 
   Eric
   October 26th, 2009 at 9:31 pm

   Meghan,

   I suppose it’s a remote possibility: I have heard of a few rare instances where allergic reactions can be that sensitive.

   I would say to possibly do some some scientific eliminations to try and find the culprit(s). Maybe sleep in a different room/bed for a few nights, and see if the symptoms go away.

   If the reactions are that intense, it may be worth it to try and remove the wood for a while and see if you improve.

3. 
   Adam Guilford
   November 25th, 2009 at 10:36 am

   A co worker of mine was recently exposed to tropical tigerwood dust while installing a hardwood floor, is there any reason to be concerned about possible consequences from such exposure?

4. 
   Eric
   November 27th, 2009 at 10:41 am

   If there weren’t any immediate allergic reactions, then I wouldn’t worry about it. As long as it was just a one time exposure, and he isn’t noticing any health effects, then he should be fine.

5. 
   Dana
   January 13th, 2010 at 5:30 pm

   I woke up this morning with a reaction I believe to be from turning bottle stoppers yesterday.Red irritated skin on face & neck, swollen puffy eyes. Problem is, I used six different woods. Osage orange, Bocote, Yucatan rosewood,Black palm,Curly pigyama? and a self made laminent of leopard wood,maple & Purple hart. Any Ideas on which is likely the cause? Had this reaction once before, but didn’t put together with wood as the cause so I don’t remember what I was using the first time.

6. 
   Eric
   January 14th, 2010 at 2:24 pm

   Dana,

   Skin irritation is probably the most common allergic reaction, with just about every kind of wood being capable of causing a reaction. If I had to guess, I’d say the top three suspects would be Yucatan Rosewood, Osage Orange, and Purpleheart.

   Yucatan Rosewood is supposed to be less allergenic than other rosewoods, but it’s still a true Dalbergia rosewood, so I would suspect that wood first.

   Also, even though I’ve never read any reports of toxicity about Bocote, I still don’t trust the stuff, and would include that as another likely suspect.

7. 
   Dana
   January 14th, 2010 at 3:31 pm

   Thanks Eric, that makes it unanimous so far. Trying to use a little deductive reasoning, I had the same conclusion as did one of the guys down at the local woodworking store. Picked up another length of 4″ hose to get the dust collector to the lathe and a decent dust mask!

8. 
   Chris Gagnon
   April 6th, 2010 at 12:00 pm

   I am currently enrolled in a carpentry class at a local college, there are 3 weeks left in the course and we began working with Spruce for a small staircase as it turns out I break out with puffy eyes and red blistery patches on both arms, the puffiness goes away after about 4-6 days. and it seems to come back the day after exposure.
   Everything I have read regarding Spruce says a reaction is rare but I seem to have all the symptoms, Do you know of any medication I can take to help releave the puffuness and the itching Benedril does not work for me!

9. 
   Eric
   April 6th, 2010 at 4:54 pm

   Chris,

   If your symptoms are lasting that long, then I would definitely try and see a doctor for professional advice.

   From everything I’ve read, simply the best thing to do is prevent exposure in the first place. I would either try to use a different type of softwood species, or else wear a full complement of protective gear, from head to toe. You might look a little goofy to your classmates wearing all kinds of protective gear, but I think it’s the best way to prevent reactions from occurring if you have to work with Spruce.

10. 
    Amy Willis
    May 6th, 2010 at 5:49 pm

    Ok, I got one for you, I have been to two allergist now and they dont know what it is. Back in 07′ I worked at a lumberstore sawing doors, door jams,There was not a ventalation system there. It was in a werehouse where we kept all the woods and even woods for stair wells. I was there for maybe a couple months, but I was there for a week when I felt like I was getting sick. I would come home from work with a itchy throat and my voice would be harsh and I would feel like my throat wes swollen and that I had flem in it and could not clear my thoat. So I went to see a doctor thinking I was sick, well he told me that I would most likly have to change jobs because he felt strongly that I was allergic to the saw dust. Soon after that I went to the first allergist and got skin tested. I had no recation to it as far as a rash or anything but I started to lose my voice, get that flem feeling and my throat would feel like it swells. the doctor sent me away (did nothing) recently I was taken to the hospital for an recation this time it was much worser, not only did all the useual happen but this time my neck swelled as well. It seems to only happen when i breath in any saw dust from any woods that are being cute or are rare exposed woods. But my skin does not react. I went to a different allergiest and he is more concerned I still had no skin reaction to the skin test, my chest dosent get tight persay, it seems to me it is all in my throat oh and my nose gets pluged. I have to carry benadrly with me at all times and now the new doctor wants me to carry an eppy pen. The new doctor also did a test with my blood and fould nothing. So I was wondering have you hared of anything like this or am I alone? Any info would help Thanks

11. 
    Eric
    May 7th, 2010 at 11:24 am

    Amy,

    There is a lot of data for skin-patch tests of various wood species on the Botanical Dermatology Database website:

    http://bodd.cf.ac.uk/

    You can do a search for “Pinaceae” to show a listing of most softwoods.

    Otherwise, I’ve definitely heard of many instances where people (myself included) will have a reaction to a certain wood species when it is breathed in, but it doesn’t seem to do much when it is simply touched. Though, to be honest, there was no formal patch testing, just anecdotal evidence.

12. 
    Bess
    July 7th, 2010 at 5:43 pm

    I am conducting a toxicity test on Albizzia. Is there such as thing as a “non-toxic” wood that I could use as a control?

13. 
    Eric
    July 8th, 2010 at 1:07 pm

    Bess, while I can’t 100% personally guarantee that any wood species is completely non-toxic, if I had to pick one that I thought would be most harmless for your test, I’d go with Basswood.

14. 
    Laura
    July 30th, 2010 at 7:14 am

    After swimming off a dock, my daughter was covered in a rash; back of legs, bottom, stomach, back sides of arms. Her eyes were itchy too. This has happened before, but in the past, we thought she had been in contact with poison ivy. This time, she never went into the woods. Are docks usually treated with a certain chemical? Or is it the wood causing the rash?

15. 
    Dana
    July 30th, 2010 at 8:14 am

    Laura, Sounds like swimmers itch to me. Is there a lot of water fowl in or around the lake in question? I suggest you Google Swimmers itch. Or try this link.

    http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dpd/.....tsheet.pdf

16. 
    Shira
    August 1st, 2010 at 10:50 pm

    Does anyone know 1.what woods for flooring are least likely to cause an allergic reaction? Also, 2. if the grade, or direction of cut, or part of tree can affect allergy, and 3. if older/ recycled woods may cause less of an allergic reaction than when new?

    Every unfinished wood I’ve touched a sample of causes extreme stinging/ and sometimes aching. And unfinished oak samples in my room caused my throat/ tongue to have a swelling sensation, along with nasal stuffiness/ swelling.

    I have a deadline to pick up flooring materials tomorrow, and I can’t seem to find anything I’m not allergic to. (Definitely allergic to Oak, Maple, Birch, Hickory, Walnut, …perhaps all.) -I am wondering if anyone knows about American Cherry for allergies.

    (I cannot find a non- wood option either, as am severely sensitive (much worse throat swelling etc.) to the particle/ fiber boards, and glues (in backings/ material such as cork, marmoleum, and bamboo.)

    not sure if ok to post this here, but I’m a bit desperate. Thank You!

17. 
    Eric
    August 3rd, 2010 at 8:54 am

    Shira, I sent you an email responding to your other questions. I didn’t notice that you said you were allergic to birch and maple though.

    FWIW, american cherry is the same thing as black cherry.

    http://www.wood-database.com/l.....ck-cherry/

18. 
    Kevin
    August 18th, 2010 at 6:36 am

    I make sculpted furniture and create an enormous amount of dust in doing so. I have some woods that I have become sensitized to and now take precautions to avoid these woods. What woods have the least chance of giving you an allergic reaction is there a list somewhere?

19. 
    Eric
    August 19th, 2010 at 8:07 am

    Kevin,
    I don’t know of any sort of condensed list, but just looking over the site for woods that don’t have a health warning, or ones that don’t necessarily cause reactions very commonly, here’s what comes to mind:

    Basswood
    Birch
    Butternut
    Hickory
    Maple
    Sycamore

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