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It has been a couple weeks....I had to grab a ledge (at the direction of our Palau guide, in a stiff current, with a big camera) and thought I had a "barren spot" but I came out with little nicks that turned into oozing festering wounds that are now sloughing like a spider bite, the skin sloughing off. It is like aliens are in there, trying to get out. Somebody yesterday on the boat said coral can live in your skin and you have to get it cut out. Is this true? How long should I wait? Messing up my holiday manicure schedule.
It has been a couple weeks....I had to grab a ledge (at the direction of our Palau guide, in a stiff current, with a big camera) and thought I had a "barren spot" but I came out with little nicks that turned into oozing festering wounds that are now sloughing like a spider bite, the skin sloughing off. It is like aliens are in there, trying to get out. Somebody yesterday on the boat said coral can live in your skin and you have to get it cut out. Is this true? How long should I wait? Messing up my holiday manicure schedule.
There are aliens in there, but they aren't coral polyps. What you get from scraping skin against things under salt water are a host of bacteria, and a veritable soup of toxins, depending on what critters were living on the surface where the scrape occurred. Hot water may denature some of the toxins; a good topical antibiotic (like Neosporin) can help fight the bacteria.
Sometimes, however, you'll get toxins in there that just have to run their course, and you may be sloughing skin for a month or more. If the topical doesn't reduce painful swelling and redness, and especially if you get any red streaking from the wound then take it to an MD. Some of these critters can be serious.
Rick
"You can have peace, or you can have Freedom. Don't ever count on having both at once." (Heinlein)
"... they saw the deeds of the LORD, his wondrous works in the deep." (Ps107:24)
"You can have peace, or you can have Freedom. Don't ever count on having both at once." (Heinlein)
"... they saw the deeds of the LORD, his wondrous works in the deep." (Ps107:24)
I just had a bunch of green dead flesh cut out of a wound I got in a wreck in Truk a few days ago. I'm not sure what it was but I'm on antibiotics as of this afternoon.
Agree with Rick on this. I had a serious infection while diving in Fiji a few years back. Fortunately I take Cipro with me and once I started taking it, the infection subsided (although there are still two small scars).
As a biologist, it would be quite incredible if coral polyps were growing under your skin. But then we've found they grow in the deep dark ocean.
Thanks for the feedback. Nope, it is still very strange. Not like infected exactly, I guess I will eventually get it looked at. I contacted some fire sponge in The Rhone (Tortola) last year that caused some sloughing. Even the joints are swollen. I am an RN and I am pretty sure a physician will just say to put Neosporin on it.
Dennis, great Manta shot. Yes, one day the current was smokin' and the guide said in our briefing that the plan was to not hook in. Well, he changed his mind because we saw some amazing shark action. He had everyone grab the wall which I have done many times with the hook. Since I had a big camera set up and a very low on air boyfriend....... I think I will post this in Photography Forum as "Photographers make the Worst Buddies" ......to be continued
Mike I think the betle nut has saved you from any wound infection. Too bad we passed in the night Catherine, maybe next time. I actually had another wound on my leg get infected yesterday but it seems to be subsiding now.
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Originally Posted by catherine96821
Too bad we passed in the night Catherine, maybe next time. I actually had another wound on my leg get infected yesterday but it seems to be subsiding now.
