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Ever get "pink eye" from the Columbia?

 
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rowenaman



Joined: 18 Apr 2000
Posts: 63
Location: Da Gorge

PostPosted: Sun Jun 10, 2007 12:19 pm    Post subject: Ever get "pink eye" from the Columbia? Reply with quote

In all fairness to the river, I've been shredding it for over 10 years and have not had this happen before --- so it may be totally unrelated.

Last Wednesday was a rockin/gusty 4.0 day at Dougs. I did a couple of over the boom headers (unintentional) and spit out a little more river water then normal. That night, I felt great minus some Columbia sloshing around in my ears. The next day, felt like I had hayfever - 2 days later I awake to a nasty case of pink eye - in both eyes. Other then looking gross, it is easily treated. Doc gave me some antibiotic eyedrops which seem to be doing the trick.

I'm wondering if any sailors/kiters routinely washout their eyes/ears after a sess on the river? Anyone else ever wake up with your eyes stuck shut from riverplay on the Columbia? Rolling Eyes


Last edited by rowenaman on Sun Jun 10, 2007 1:36 pm; edited 1 time in total
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motherofjehu



Joined: 04 Sep 1998
Posts: 17

PostPosted: Sun Jun 10, 2007 1:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have personally gotten eye infections, ear infections, swimmer's itch, giardiasis and cryptosporidium infections from the nasty Columbia. The risk of above increases as the weather warms and more exposure. Lyle is the worst because of stagnant water. It's the risk we all take for our obsessions.
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snowcrash



Joined: 20 May 2007
Posts: 3

PostPosted: Sun Jun 10, 2007 2:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Once I fell at Doug's West, no big fall except my left elbow smacked my board hard enough to hurt for a while. Within several days that elbow swelled to the size of a baseball, the doctor told me an infection, staff I think, had been driven into my joint by the impact, even though it hadn't even bruised.
It took six months for the elbow to return to normal.
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TheFraudKahuna



Joined: 03 Jun 2007
Posts: 1

PostPosted: Sun Jun 10, 2007 2:53 pm    Post subject: I'm allergic to the river! Reply with quote

I've been windsurfing/kiting in the Gorge for 13 years now. And at first I thought I had developed hay fever. But then my wife started to point out the pattern, 1) go in the river 2) total sinus conjestion. The only solutions that I've found to help me are to try and keep my head out of the water as much as possible (which I've found is much easier kiting than windsurfing) and then take a large dose of benedryl as soon as I get home. Not much else I can do about it ...
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isobars



Joined: 12 Dec 1999
Posts: 20935

PostPosted: Sun Jun 10, 2007 5:07 pm    Post subject: Re: I'm allergic to the river! Reply with quote

TheFraudKahuna wrote:
I've been windsurfing/kiting in the Gorge for 13 years now. And at first I thought I had developed hay fever. But then my wife started to point out the pattern, 1) go in the river 2) total sinus conjestion. . . . Not much else I can do about it ...


Flush your sinuses daily with the sinus flushing kits available at any drug store.

\m/ .
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motherofjehu



Joined: 04 Sep 1998
Posts: 17

PostPosted: Sun Jun 10, 2007 9:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I forgot to mention Helicobactor pylori.
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isobars



Joined: 12 Dec 1999
Posts: 20935

PostPosted: Mon Jun 11, 2007 12:31 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

dwellsmd wrote:
I forgot to mention Helicobactor pylori.


Considering how many thousands of headplants I've done in the Columbia and my verified lack of h-p, I've got to guess that's not a significant threat. I had to get my ulcers the old-fashioned way: Ibuprofen.

\m/
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pacspeed



Joined: 14 Sep 2000
Posts: 627

PostPosted: Mon Jun 11, 2007 12:38 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

It's not an infection, its an allergic reaction. WSU did a study on this a few years back, and river ear/eye/nose is a result of the massive pollen load floating in the top few inches of water.
Remember that this river drains one of the most intensively farmed basins in the world, an area larger than France! Particularly in the spring, the pollen is through the roof. Best thing Ive found is a straight up saline rinse in the eyes and nose after a sesh.
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