Saw Dust

[Rightarm]

     About a year ago, I infected myself with dust from working Walnut. I had one of the worst sinus infections, of my life. So I started using a dust mask. I also use a shop vac and have attachments that hook up to my power tools. But using other woods, I have fell out of the habit of using my mask. Here lately I've been getting up in the morning. My eyes start to water, my nose starts to run, and I'm sneezing my head off. I told this to my wife, Chris. She told me of a old fashion remedy. A thing called a Neti Pot. She bought me one, I've been using it for about a week now. Every since then. I get up in the morning with no problems. I was wondering if any of you have tried this method? And is there anything wrong with doing this?                   
                                               Thanks Dave

[tux_linux]

Neti pot @ wikipdia

hmm, no, I'm not using this. but I know a lot of allergic people are using it.

Are you sure, it's the wood? Is it tested?

regards
Torsten

[BilltheDiver]

Never heard of it until this message.  I don't have a dust collector in my shop, never wear masks, and I rarely use the shop vac.  To clean I fire up my leaf blower and open the alley doors!  The sawdust never bothers me, but recently I ran some monkeypod wood through my planer and about choked!  It irritated my nose, throat, and eyes and then did it again when I rinsed off my face.  I will wear something when I work that stuff!

[boxmaker]

I used one once, I thought I was going to drown, but I have to admit it did work. It sounds like you might be coming sensitized to certain woods. So far only one wood has really bothered me, it is called Makore. I always wear dust protection now when I sand, plane or cut Makore.

[Russ C]

This can be a very serious issue. 1st line of defense is the dust mask. 

[mrsn]

I have heard of people using them, and they swear they work. The thought grosses me out a bit, so I don't.  Although I have had a sinus cold kind of a thing hanging on lately, makes me think a little more about the sawdust around.

I have heard of people having issues with sawdust. I think that Walnut is one of the more common things to have issues with. I had picked up a mystery scrap from rockler once that gave me issues, so I am careful with unknown wood. (sorry, i teach middle school and my inner 8th grader is smirking at that line)

[boxmaker]

Be careful mrsn, when I have a cold is when I avoid the dust in the workshop. That is usually when I am most prone to sinus infections, because my sinus's are already inflamed. Like Russ said, we should make dust mask a common practice.

[yyyyyguy]

I had a real problem, I think, caused by walnut a couple months ago, got a good dust mask and after a the problem disappeared I was choking/gagging  all the time from just small amounts of moisture on the back of my throat, I never cut without one now

[BilltheDiver]

Don't get us started MrsN!  Most of us guys have retained that inner 8th grade mentality for decades!

[Chachi]

My wife uses one all the time but she has the bottle not the pot (it worked better for her) she swears by it the first onset of a sinus problem she runs for the Nettiand it has helped her alot and no problems yet from it although you do feel liek you are going to drown.


MrsN the wife and I call that 12 year old humor while mostly me she just looks at me and says your not 12 but I snicker anyways and I did at that line myself lol (watch out for "Unknown WOOD" you never know where it's been) Sorry I had to lol

[jdbcarving]

I have to use a dust mask when I power carve, scroll or turning.  Just can't take the dust anymore.  I don't like to use one, i wear glasses and they fog up at times.  But, can't use the vacuum all the time to darn noisy.  Some woods are worse, but, i do most everything in the basement, and have a good air cleaner on the furnace.  Don't get to much dust upstairs.
If summer ever comes I try to do most dusty things outside in garage w/ doors open, but, with out a wind, still need the mask.  Once that stuff gets down there hard to get it out.

Jim

[julief]

I use a netty pot regularly, especially after a big sanding day.  I have gotten better about using the dust mask, but still have problems sometimes.  If you breath through your mouth when using it, you don't experience that drowning feeling.