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[FishHunter]

Does anybody ever have there hands swell up after fishing? I mean not just a little bit, but enough where it hurts you hands to move them. I have noticed this more as I have gotten older and it has really been a problem for me. Every time I go fishing and touch a fish, get a cut while fishing, or handle something with fish slime on it my hands will swell up and start to peel a couple of weeks later. I don't know if I am alergic to fish, or there is some bacteria in the fish slime that causes your hands to do this, and I am not the only one I know that has this happen to them. Any information wold be great and even a way to prevent it would be terriffic. I know gloves would probably stop it, but I haven't found a pair of gloves that would easily slip on and off and be able to hold a fish.

[heavyduty]

Cant explain why your hands do that. Mine will feel real tight a day or two after working lures. But they certainly dont peel unless they are sunburned. I would hate to see you try using rubber gloves as they would be hot to have to wear all day. Maybe one of those fish handlers that grip the fish while you squeeze it. Good luck and let us know if you find out what it is.

[Guest]

Allergy does seem the most likely cause, unless you have some other underlying condition, like periferal circulatory problems. I assume your fingers don't swell late in the day when you haven't been fishing, or that it's worse when the temperatures are low than when it's warm.

I'd get some fishing gloves, the kind that have no fingers, smear some Vaseline or similar water-proof lotion on your palms and the backs of your hands, and slip the gloves on. You should have enough of a grip on your pole even so, and it wouldn't be as uncomfortable as full-fingered gloves. If only your fingers swell, then I'd say your allergy guess was accurate, but if both hands and fingers swell anyway, watch House on Tuesday night TV until you see him diagnose and treat the syndrome.

[Guest]

Allergy does seem the most likely cause, unless you have some other underlying condition, like periferal circulatory problems. I assume your fingers don't swell late in the day when you haven't been fishing, or that it's worse when the temperatures are low than when it's warm.

I'd get some fishing gloves, the kind that have no fingers, smear some Vaseline or similar water-proof lotion on your palms and the backs of your hands, and slip the gloves on. You should have enough of a grip on your pole even so, and it wouldn't be as uncomfortable as full-fingered gloves. If only your fingers swell, then I'd say your allergy guess was accurate, but if both hands and fingers swell anyway, watch House on Tuesday night TV until you see him diagnose and treat the syndrome.

[rabbit]

Better go to the doc and have it checked out.
_________________
Fishing and Kayaking its a rough life but somebody has to do it.

[MilosMaster]

I thought I was the only one this happened too! I am suffering from the peeling part of the whole process right now. I am 23 years old and it has been a problem for me as long as I can remember. They get sore and swollen for a few days, and then a few weeks later they start to peel. First them thumbs and forefingers, and then everything else, sometimes even my palm. I used to fish so much that I didn't make the connection until I came to college, and was away from saltwater for an extended period. Then I went to a crawfish boil, and the exact same thing happened. Talked to my dermatoligist and we determined that I have a topical allergy to shellfish (shrimp, crabs, crawfish). She said there is nothing I can do, short of avoiding contact or wearing gloves. She also said it is not that uncommon, but alot of times people don't ever make the connection about what it is from. It is not dangerous in any other way, I still eat shellfish all I want, I just try to avoid touching them. Dead shrimp or crawfish seem to make it more severe than live ones. If I only deal with live shrimp, the soreness isn't as bad and they don't peel as much. Shoot me back if you have any other questions, I have been dealing with this for a while now, have a few remedies that make the peeling stop faster.

[Jason Slocum]

It happens to me and my fishing buddies as well. Dont know what exactly causes it, but my hands and feet seem to swell to the point that makes the skin peel. I have found that it helps if after I touch a fish/shrimp to go wash/rub my hands with sand. Also as soon as I get home I wash with antibacterial soap, and then put some lotion on my hands. It seems to happen more when I fish the bays rather than the surf. Jason

[Guest]

Thanks alot for the replies. I will try the remedies that you have listed and see if they help out. I will also see if shellfish make it worse than just touching fish. Thanks alot again Robert

[luvsfishin]

My fingers peel on all the tips and get really rough from fishing. It's just something they've always done and I've never thought anything of it. Yours sounds alot worse though. If I ever catch a fish and get it on more sensitive skin like my forearms or belly when wading in the summer, I get a very irritating rash and alot of stinging. It's ok though, it's worth it for me. It's probably that slime they have. It just doesn't wash off very well. My hands are usually worse after cleaning fish.

[Big John at work]

A couple of thoughts on this:

After hours of getting your hands soaked with saltwater and then drying in between, a layer of salt builds up not just on, but in your skin in the dead tough outer layer that protects the inner layer. The slime from fish and dead bait aggrevates the situation allowing that layer of slime to dry on your skin and form layer of additional materials that suck the moisture out of your skin as it dries. This causes that all over small peeling, where little bitty spots show up, but no major large spots. This really doesn't itch or hurt.

This is one reason why we peel. I peel after a day at the beach, at least some, everytime.

Rubbing your hands throughly clean in the sand in the water helps by removing any fish slime, and using lotion before and after will also help - just not too much before, you don't want your bait smelling "pretty."

Another cause is overhydration of the epidermis - prune hands. When this happens, the tough outer layer is over hydrated, expands, and the bond between the outer and mid layers of skin is broken up. Hence you get one little spot the next morning, by the end of the day that spot has turned into multiple spots and spreading into very large spots, and then by the end of the 2nd day you're hands are full blown peeling. Again, this normally only itches a little and should not burn or bleed.

Allergies also play into this, as well as sun and wind exposure. If you have really bad swelling or peeling and it burns or itches severly, or bleeds at all - see a doc right away. There could be serious long-term issues that need to be dealt with.

[crab_n_fisher]

Fortunately, I do not suffer from swelling hands after wade fishing; but I do suffer the malady commonly known as a "swollen head". It generally affects me prior to each fishing trip. The symptoms include apparitions of 30"+ trout; a stringer full of Bull Whiting; women in red bikinis applying coconut scented sun tan lotion to aching shoulders and lower back, and a calm, weedless surf. A proven cure is currently not available, and intoxicants of any kind is widely-believed to induce further hallucingenic-like behavior, headaches, and induced vomiting.

Its such a nice condition to have!
_________________
"I just got a new fly-fishing rod and reel for my wife. It was the best trade I've ever made!"

[SALTYDOG]

[rutro]

Well with the water temp up to 70deg. today and the week before the dark of the moon starting this weekend I'll be trying to get mine to swell and peal next 7 or 8 days. I do notice mine swell a little especialy after a lot of catching. The pealing happens also but mostly just finger tips. I think Big John may have something about the salt and fish slime. I'm always rinsing off slime in the surf and bait slime too. We do carry a 6gal. fresh water jerry can in the back of the jeep and at the end of a session or day we always use it and a little soft soap to clean up. With the flesh eating bacteria and other who knows what around it doesn't hurt to be a little cautious, especialy in the laguna...........

[Screeminreel]

Several years back we were down and I noticed that my hands seemed to have several spots come up on them that itched a little. As the day wore on the spots spread and the itching turned to burning. Before the day was over both hands were swolen and the buring was almost unbearable.

After several days it subsided and went away. Not a comfortable feeling at all. Noticed no peeling though. The next trip was up here and nothing was noticed at all. Got to wandering what they hey. Several weeks later we were back down on PINs and once again here comes the rash and burning. The only thing I could connect with was the seaweed that I had been pulling off my lines. Seemed that during those two times and a couple more since, there were a lot of blue jellies in the area. I figured that it had to be something like the tenticals or small ones in the weed that were stinging my hands. The next trip we came down, I was more careful and didn't just sling the stuff all around as I had the times before. I only got a little on the backs of a couple of fingers. Turns out, it may have just been like you mentioned, an alergy to the saragasm or what ever that stuff is with the little round ends on it.

Since then I haven't really noticed it happening, however I have also been more consious of what I was doing when the grass was in. Nothing I took or put on it helped it out, and even a couple of Dr's scratched their heads on it.

Good luck with it and if you find something that does work, be sure to relay it out to the masses.

LAter,
SR