I just realized something when I was reading the “Tarnished brass” thread. Since I have nickel allergy, should I avoid nickel whistles? Admittedly, my allergy isn’t bad. I only get rashes from prolonged skin contact with some metal that contains nickel (like for example belt buckles), but from what I’ve heard, it can get worse if one is exposed to nickel a lot. What are the risks involved, does anyone know?
Sorry if this question has been asked before, but the search page times out or throws Internal server errors at me.
I’ve also heard that the allergy is cumulative (i.e., the more exposure you
have to nickel over your life, the more sensitive you become). So, it seems
a wise policy to avoid nickel as much as possible.
This sort of thing is unfortunately part of the downside of instruments. Blackwood contact allergy (which I have) is indeed cumulative, and a bummer. Nickel (which I don’t have so far as I know), I have no idea.
My first thought is that if you have nickel contact allergy already, then it makes sense to not handle nickel. But some of this is site-specific, too; in my case, the sensitisation is confined to below the lower lip (from fluteplaying), yet my fingers aren’t discernibly affected. Go figure.
So, yeah, common sense tells me that if I have nickel allergy, I should avoid nickel. That it’s on whistles shouldn’t make anything different, I’d think.
Yeah, I’ve noticed something similar myself. I’ve played guitar for years but nickel plated strings have never given me any problems. Metal bridges on electric guitars sometimes give me slight rashes though, as that is the spot where I rest my hand when playing. So maybe prolonged contact is the key here, and maybe whistles are no different from guitar strings in that regard. Still… I don’t want to risk making my allergy worse.
You’re probably right. I have only one nickel whistle so far, maybe I shouldn’t get any more of them. Besides, they smell funky
Nickel allergy is indeed cumulative and what’s worse, you can become allergic to other metals as well (Cobalt) once you got the allergy started.
If I were you I would stay away from Nickel whistles and whistles made from German Silver (Nysilver for us Swedes).
I developed it from being in contact with brass just a bit! I bought a couple of brass burke whistles, at the begining everything was ok but in a few weeks I began to feel a horrible itch in my nose everytime I played them.
Brass does have a positive side effect (unless you are allergic) in that it kills any germs left on the whistle within 8 hours. That’s due to the Copper and Zinc ions being toxic to virtually all bacteria.
It may well be the same effect that causes some people to be allergic to some metals. Aluminum doesn’t have the same effect on germs and it seems fewer get allergic to it too.
Curious, if you are allergic to nickel, does that mean you are allergic to pocket change such as nickels, dimes and quarters which employ amounts of the element, nickel?
That’s actually the main problem for those who are allergic to nickel. Since the metal is used in coins among other common items it’s almost impossible to avoid contact with it. Most alloys used in coins contain nickel, it is used in Nickel- or German Silver (which doesn’t contain silver at all!), sometimes it is used in the alloys used to make cheap jewelry, some brasses and bronzes, iron alloys, plating etc.
In short, if you are predisposed to nickel allergy, having parents or siblings that are allergic, avoid all unnecessary contact with the metal if possible. Piercing is a common way to get allergic to the metal so make absolutely sure that you don’t use anything that contains nickel if you want to poke extra holes in your body…
Actually, I’ve never had any problem with coins. But then I don’t walk around with coins in my hands all day, so in my case it might be the same thing as with guitar strings: contact is too brief to cause an allergic reaction.
That’s how it started for me, yeah. Used some cheap earrings in the early nineties, and after a couple of weeks my earlobes started itching like crazy. I’ve been unable to use any jewelry that’s not pure silver or steel after that.
I wonder if they put that notice on the packaging to avoid lawsuits…
Nickel allergy is the most common contact allergy in Central Europe; but this might as well be true for most parts of the world.
The Nickel molecule itself is too small to actually cause an allergic reaction on its own. Only after binding to epidermal proteins it becomes potentially allergenic.
As with all other types of allergies, an unlimited number of contacts might remain without consequence until the immune system becomes sensitized to the trigger substance. This process is called allergization.
The allergen gets “eaten” by scavenger cells that process and present it on their surfaces to T-type lymphocytes. They also produce transmitters that stimulate T-cell proliferation. In the beginning the proliferation is local, during the process the sensitized T-cells spread throughout the whole body.
Any new contact to the allergen could now cause contact allergy and at times systemic reactions.
West
Actually, I’ve never had any problem with coins.
The question when exactly an allergization takes place depends on several factors:
duration & intensity of contact
amount of allergen contained in an item
allergic potential of the substance in question
barrier function of the skin
individual genetic disposition
Looking at points 1 and 2, they explain your non-reaction to coins fairly well. As you said, you don’t have them in your hands all day.
The downside of allergic reactions is that every single contact to the trigger substance results in stimulating the T-cells involved a bit more. Meaning that over the time it will take less and less contact and allergen content to provoke the same or even worse reactions.
As with all other allergies the main goal in treating them is strict avoidance of contact whenever possible.
I must strongly discourage you from buying any whistles containing nickel. Seeing that avoiding this metal during every day life is almost impossible (jean buttons, change, …), you really should not subject yourself to it more than necessary. Mind you, there are even (if very few) people who react to minute amounts of said metal in food!
Of course I cannot forbit you to do anything you want.
This is just my professional opinion from my “15 days to graduation from med-school” point of view.
As is, I’m not allergic to nickel myself - got a whole lot of other allergies, though - and therefore make a point of avoiding it in larger quantities. I will certainly not acquire a whistle made from it!
P.S.: There is no substance in the world one cannot become allergic to. Let’s just hope we just encounter as little of these as possible.
I bought a couple of brass burke whistles, at the begining everything was ok but in a few weeks I began to feel a horrible itch in my nose everytime I played them.
