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95XL883
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# Posted: 6 Dec 2018 01:49pm
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Let's try something totally non-political.
I've been tested for allergies and have been told I'm not allergic to anything. So guess what?
This past Saturday was possibly the worst reaction I've ever had to something. Went deer hunting, got a cull buck, field dressed and boned him out right in the field. Walked around a bit more, put a stalk on a couple of other deer, changed camera cards and then headed home. That is when the trouble started.
On the way, my eyes started feeling really dry and my face is starting to feel hot. After 15 minutes, I pull over and put some Systane Ultra drops in and push on. Stop again for more drops in another 15 minutes. Drive on and barely make it home. Literally my eyes hurt so bad and my vision was starting to blur that if it had gotten any worse, I wouldn't have been able to drive. Total drive is less than an hour.
Get home, immediately shower and look at myself in the mirror. My face is red and warm to the touch. The corneas of my eyes were swollen, literally swollen, to the point where it was difficult to close my eyes. I looked like one of those weird goldfish with the puffy eyes. I flushed my eyes with saline solution. I have some prescription steroid eye drops (I have had this problem before), put those in, took an anti-histamine and some Mucinex, waited 15 minutes and put in more Systane. Another dose of steroids an hour later and more Systane and my eyes finally started feeling decent but the corneas stayed badly swollen. The next day there was still some swelling but it was much better. More steroid drops (once in morning and once at mid-day). Systane regularly through out the day. By the next morning the corneal swelling was gone by the eyes still feel scratchy, like the swelling could come back. It has gotten better each day but the eyes, the left one in particular, still feel scratchy and like the swelling could come back.
I've had this problem before, once at home, and occasionally while on my ground. But only once, the first time, that it was this bad. Other than that and this time, I'm totally cleared up within 48 hours.
I have an eye doctor appointment in an hour and a half. Hopefully she can figure out what is happening.
Anybody have any thoughts/suggestions?
If I'm not allergic to something, then it must be either dust/dirt in the air or a plant reaction of some type (but it has been cold enough and snowy enough that it shouldn't be a pollen caused problem.
Unless the doc comes up with something different, I'm going to start carrying saline and rinse my eyes frequently while on the ground. Also take the anti-histamine and Mucinex as a preventative. Probably carry the steroid drops and take them at the first sign of a problem.
Anybody else had this challenge from their ground? Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
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Cowracer
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# Posted: 6 Dec 2018 04:01pm - Edited by: Cowracer
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Most likely some sort of pollen or airborne mold spores. Weird time of year... As I get older I find I am susceptible to it.
I have never had allergies in my life, but ever so often, when riding the motorcycle or side-by-side (especially at our cabin) something will give me the worst itchy red eyes. They do swell, but not closed.
I find Visine A (NOT A/C) works fantastic. I keep a bottle in the bike, in the SxS, one at home and one in the cabin.
Word of warning, it stings worse than anything you ever experienced for about 90 seconds when you use them. For 89 of those seconds you will be thinking "GAAAHHH! I HAVE MADE A HORRIBLE MISTAKE", but if you ride it out, the itchy redness and swelling goes away.
Tim
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95XL883
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# Posted: 6 Dec 2018 06:12pm
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Thanks Tim. I'm ready to try just about anything.
It is obviously a reaction but the doc isn't sure to what exactly. For now she prescribed more steroid drops with a prescription anti-histamine.
After this clears up, I'll definitely try the Visine A.
Greg
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ICC
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# Posted: 6 Dec 2018 06:33pm
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Sounds like you have an allergy, but they have not tested for the right thing yet. Does not seem like a "dirt got in the eye" thing because of the delay. 
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rockies
Member
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# Posted: 6 Dec 2018 07:18pm
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I might suggest you get tested for lyme disease. Being around wildlife like deer, etc could have got you bitten by a tick.
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Borrego
Member
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# Posted: 6 Dec 2018 09:20pm
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Quoting: 95XL883 or a plant reaction of some type
I think this....A reaction from some plant you touched and didn't realize it...not an allergy, per se, but a reaction to a poisonous plant...like the pencil cactus we have out in the west......?
I dunno, just takin' a stab......wish you best of luck with this.....
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toyota_mdt_tech
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# Posted: 6 Dec 2018 09:57pm
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Quoting: Borrego I think this....A reaction from some plant you touched and didn't realize it...not an allergy, per se, but a reaction to a poisonous plant...like the pencil cactus we have out in the west......?
Do you have poison oak, ivy or summac? Was the deer in some?
I used to get itchy watery eye a while back and as log as I didnt itch it, fine, if I rubbed it, it would swell up (just one eye, always the right eye) and then water and eventually go down and done. It showed up in the summers when I was a teenage and onward for year and then just stopped all together. Hasnt been an issue in ov er 20 years.
I think it was pollen allergy, but maybe you, mold spores because time of the year.
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Gone2TheCamp
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# Posted: 7 Dec 2018 08:25am - Edited by: Gone2TheCamp
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You're allergic to deer. ...maybe?
My dad was a big salmon fisherman and fly-tyer. He eventually had to quit tying because a lot of the most popular patterns use deer hair, that you cut off the dried hide in clumps. He developed an allergy with similar symptoms to what you describe, due to the dander.
He sold his trying gear and everything to another well-known tyer. He has a store and a website, and has a blog where he talks about things now and again, and I like going there to read his stories about him trying to figure out how my dad tied a certain fly, etc. In the story about my dad's fly, he mentions that he's come down with the same allergy to deer hair that my father had. His eyes would itch and run something terrible, and if the dander got on the backs of his hands they would turn red, hot, and itch something fierce. Not a big stretch to say that maybe you touched your face with your hands and the 'more sensitive' skin on your face reacted while the 'tougher' skin on your hands didn't....
I know you said there's other times you has lesser reactions but maybe there was something in the same family flying around the air...?
If you google deer allergies, there are lots of articles about people having eye and skin reactions after being in contact with deer. Folks that have to wear shoulder-length rubber gloves, etc...
Something to think about, anyway....
http://www.mikehanback.com/blog/index.cfm/2011/4/11/Hunter-is-Allergic-to-Deer
https://www.deeranddeerhunting.com/blogs/warning-signs-to-a-deer-allergy
https://www.gohunt.com/read/skills/i-am-severely-allergic-to-hunting#gs.smRPC78
http://forum.gon.com/threads/so-im-allergic-to-deer.411090/
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fiftyfifty
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# Posted: 7 Dec 2018 09:58am
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I agree probably deer allergy. Definitely not poison ivy etc as that takes a minimum of 72 hours to show up, whereas deer allergy is nearly immediate. Deer allergy is not something typically tested for in the standard doctor allergy panels.
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95XL883
Member
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# Posted: 7 Dec 2018 10:57am
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Thanks all. It may be a deer allergy or maybe a reaction to something that collected on the deer's coat. The first time I got this was in my own back yard. I was running a grinder and as I worked the eyes went to heck. I was wearing eye protection but obviously I needed better protection. Then it started showing up when I spent the day on the ground. I can get it with no exposure to deer. I've learned to lay a tarp down when I'm in the pop-up blind and then I don't have a reaction. So I think it is something organic that collects on the deer.
G2TC, I'll read up on deer allergies. I know the back of my hands will itch a little after butchering even though I wear a latex/vinyl glove. Maybe I did touch my eyes, probably with my sleeve as I rinsed well when done.
I don't think it is poison ivy even though there is a lot of it on the land. This shows up quickly and with the right treatment goes away much quicker than poison ivy rash.
Interestingly, I can run a chainsaw for hours and not have this problem.
I hope it isn't deer allergy. This little buck had a beautiful coat, very thick and very soft. I've never tanned before but I'm going to try on this one. I shampooed it a couple of days ago hoping to get off anything that might be inflaming the eyes. After it drys I'll scrape off the remaining flesh and try tanning. Hope I'm not courting disaster.
And since I have an unfilled doe tag in my pocket I'll be back at it tomorrow. But I'll be taking plenty of saline solution, alcohol wipes, steroid eye drops and prescription anti-histamine drops along.
Thanks for the help.
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old243
Member
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# Posted: 7 Dec 2018 05:23pm
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Good luck on your hunt tomorrow. Hope you are able to solve your problem, it would be a bummer if it is deer related . old 243
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95XL883
Member
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# Posted: 8 Dec 2018 05:53pm
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Well, only about two hours left for today and no deer yet to test the deer allergy hypothesis. Saw two does this morning but there was no shot. The birds are beautiful. I wish I had Gary O’s photo skills. The cardinals are huge, both male and female. I’ve also accidentally nurtured a covey of quail that are a delight to watch.
Back to the eyes, one thing I’ve been conscious about today is how much I want to touch my eyes. Credit to whoever mentioned that. So far I’ve avoided it.
Here’s hoping one comes in. I’d like to figure out what is causing the inflammation. I really enjoy being out here and would hate to have to give it up.
Thanks to all for the help. G
Teepees, I didn’t hit post. Sorry about that. Less than 10 minutes to sunset. No deer but the coyote packs are howling ay each other. What a racket’
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95XL883
Member
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# Posted: 8 Dec 2018 05:54pm
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Teepees was supposed to be geepers. Doggone auto correct.
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fiftyfifty
Member
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# Posted: 8 Dec 2018 07:30pm
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If you ever have a hunch about what it is, you can do a home patch test. It's done on the skin of the inner forearm as that is our thinnest skin after our face (well and another part you probably don't want to test on.) Anyway, you take a small amount of whatever, put it on your forearm skin and then cover it with a big bandaid. Leave it like that for 2-3 days and then check for a reaction. The experts say you should also apply a second bandaid on the opposite forearm to act as the negative control, as it is possible to be allergic to bandaids.
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morock
Member
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# Posted: 9 Dec 2018 02:27pm
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What about latex? It has become a fairly common allergy too?
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toyota_mdt_tech
Member
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# Posted: 9 Dec 2018 09:00pm
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morock, I was just going to say that. I used to wear laytex gloves for work, my eye would get itchy, watery and I would itch it, it swelled up. I use nitrile gloves now, way more durable, no issues at all now.
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