Protect your eyes !!!!!

Tanked001 · 05-10-2007, 03:57 PM

I got a bad chemical burn in my right eye 3 days ago.. I have to put eye drops and gel in my eye every 3 hours now until my eye heals.

Now I bet your thinking what does that have to do with coral?

I got the chemical burn From cutting Zoanthids !!!!

I was fraging off some real nice yellow/green zoos when one of them squirted me in my eye... I flushed my eye out with tap water... Thinking it's not a big deal.. the stinging must be from the salt water and dry feeling is from the tap water.. Well that was till the next day when I woke up with my eye completely red and half swollen up.
Off to the ER I went...
The ER doc thought it was just an infection (conjunctivitis, pink eye) but my eye started to get worse by the next day... so I went to see an Ophthalmologist.. now he (the eye doc) scanned my eye. He said I had chemical burns and prescribe some new meds.... now it's be 3 days and my eye is doing alot better.

So remember WEAR SAFETY GLASSES WHEN CUTTING YOUR CORAL!!!

I know I will!

Diver_1298 · 05-10-2007, 04:21 PM

Excellent suggestion!! I am glad that you brought this up. Sometimes we all get a little too cavalier doing things and this brings to light what can and does happen sometimes. I hope your eye gets better.
Enjoy,

Jim

mattgeezer · 05-10-2007, 04:48 PM

Crikeys , hope ya eye gets better mate.

nemo79 · 05-10-2007, 04:59 PM

Oh thank goodness there was no perminent damage! I hope your eye is doing better. I had a similar experience. I tried to glue sea mats onto another rock and got a good squirt in the face. Scared the heck out of me.

CodyW · 05-10-2007, 05:22 PM

Thankfully you can still use your eye, what a close call. It's a pretty serious injury that can go either way.

I cut a small peice of metal (size of paper clip) with my dremel a long time ago, got a peice in the eye and learned my lesson, I'm lucky I still have function much less no damage at all. I now wear safety glasses when I pull weeds from my garden, no joke, you never know.

omard · 05-10-2007, 05:49 PM

You are very lucky that you only got an eye irratation. Zoanthids carry a very deadly poison within them. Palytoxin.

RE: Palytoxin is an incredibly complex marine natural product containing 71 stereochemical elements. Palytoxin, isolated from soft coral, is considered to be one of the most toxic non-peptide substances known, second only to Maitotoxin. Professor Yo****o Kishi's group at Harvard University first synthesized palytoxin in 1994, but it was originally isolated in 1971 in Hawaii from the seaweed, "Limu make o hana"[1]. This feat is still considered today by many to be the greatest synthetic accomplishment ever.[1]

Palytoxin targets the sodium-potassium pump protein by binding to the molecule such that the molecule is locked in a position where it allows passive transport of both the sodium and potassium ions, thereby destroying the ion gradient that is essential for most cells.

Typical symptoms of palytoxin poisoning are angina-like chest pains, asthma-like breathing difficulties, tachycardia, unstable blood pressure, hemolysis (destruction of red blood cells), and an electrocardiogram showing an exaggerated T wave. The onset of symptoms is rapid, and death usually follows just minutes after.

Palytoxin

I remember Anthony Calfo once talking about his couple of "accidents" while propagating these. His symtoms were much more serious.

Always wear both gloves when dealing with these animals - apparently goggles or glasses are a good idea also.

There is some serious s&*t in that fish tank of yours!

Bruce · 05-10-2007, 06:46 PM

I remember someone lost their dog because it went to check out water in a bucket used to frag zoos. Those little buggers pack quite a punch. The most I have ever felt is a slight tingling...though once my anemone gave me a little slap.

geekdafied · 05-10-2007, 06:48 PM

I cant read this! my eyes are burning! I got splashed with some paly juice while fragging!

nm, just joking! Though its no joking matter...

Otty · 05-10-2007, 07:04 PM

Never thought of that, thanks for bringing up this point. Seems like something I hear from the Safety Nazi's at work....

Glad you eye is getting better, we all take our sight for granted.

Tanked001 · 05-10-2007, 09:10 PM

Thanks omard for the info.. I've read about that before but it said it's rare that it would carry enough to kill you but I'm not taking anymore chances.. This is bad enough!!!! I think I'm going to have bring home my welding mask from work!

Good thing it didn't really effect my vision. It's still 20/15 in both eyes I just have a haze after applying the drops and gel.. My eye is getting better tho... I go back to the Doc tomorrow I'll going to print that info omard posted and see what he says...

Thanks everyone for your comments