Vibration white finger

[diycooper]

I have been using power tools alot as I am doing a house up and I have used a sds drill with chisel bit in for hours on end as I have been knocking walls down. My fingers have started getting pains in a waking me up at night and my joints in my middle 2 fingers are snapping in the morning and causing me pain. I did not know about vibration white finger but a friend told me when I said my concerns. Is this always permanent or can it go away ? Just wrote on here as some may have or had if possible ?

thanks

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

Hello diycooper,
I have worked in the building and manufacturing industry for many years, some of that time as a Health and Safety Officer and have come across this on a few occasions.
What you have described sounds very much like "Hand and Arm Vibration Syndrome" (HAVS) but it can be mistaken and sometimes Carpal Tunnel Syndrome can be diagnosed as the problem

HAVS
This effects the small nerves and blood vessels in the fingers, it is possible that the condition will decrease but that may mean you have to stop using hand vibration tools.
Are self employed or on the books?
You must report this to your employers and be asked to be removed form vibration tool work, then get it checked out by a doctor.
There are anti-vibration gloves available for use as PPE, but there is no scientific proof they are any better than wearing any other type of working gloves, such as the yellow cross gripped type.
There are medical treatments available, a drug by the name of "nifedipine" could be prescribed by your GP or specialist.
Stimulating your fingers will help ease the pain as they are best kept warm.
Some links that I suggest you look at:

http://www.patient.co.uk/health/Hand-Arm-Vibration-Syndrome.htm

http://www.hse.gov.uk/vibration/hav/index.htm

http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Carpal-tunnel-syndrome/Pages/Symptoms.aspx

 

[diycooper]

I am self employed. I am a builder/landlord. Do you know if it can completely go after rest ?

Thanks

 

[joe-90]

Stop being a drama queen. It's a bit of inflammation, It'll soon fade away.

 

[diycooper]

Thanks Joe-90 I know how it sounds but if I had not been waking up every night then read the things about it on internet I would not be worried. You can do permanent nerve damage, just wanted to know if anyone has had this and just rested and it has gone tha'ts all ?

 

[noseall]

Now that we have the internet and Google, we are all now able to find a name for just about any ailment we find.

Just keep on searching until you find a name for your ailment, however obscure, then sue somebody...


....or go bother a G.P. and clog up the NHS.

 

[diycooper]

O.M.G hit a nerve here with ppl. I have no intentions of sueing anyone and do not want to search the internet for a name was just asking. As for G.P I have only seen him once in my life and that was when I had to go to sign up with him. I am in pain and was wondering as I got told if could be due to vibrations which it prob is just wanted input on a free forum if anyone else has had it and it has gone with rest.

Sorry to **** ppl off

 

[joe-90]

It's because you aren't used to using it like that. Most of us in here use power tools all day long but we don't get problems as we are used to using them. It'll wear off.

 

[cantaloup63]

IMHO op, it seems a reasonable question to ask on a trade related forum and sounds akin to RSI known factually to occur to typists. Best advice is to see your GP.

 

[diycooper]

That is what I wanted to hear. Just wondering if out of curiosity now if when ppl started using power tools for hours did this happen to anyone.

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

If you continue using vibration hand tools, the effects it is currently causing will not decrease and most likely will increase and could cause permanent, irreparable damage, if you continue to use these tools for long periods.
It does not just go away, I suggest you go see your GP and get qualified medical advice.

 

[alumni]

I'm with joe on this one.
It'll go away soon enough.

 

[diycooper]

If you continue using vibration hand tools, the effects it is currently causing will not decrease and most likely will increase and could cause permanent, irreparable damage, if you continue to use these tools for long periods.
It does not just go away, I suggest you go see your GP and get qualified medical advice.

I have bought 5 houses in the last 2 years. 3 repossessions which was not even classed as habitable and needed major work and the other 2 needed completely gutting and everything done. I done 80 percent of the work in all 5 house's myself. Just saying how it is.

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

. Just wondering if out of curiosity now if when ppl started using power tools for hours did this happen to anyone.

Yes I have come across many cases of vibration white finger, from people using vibration hand tools, some cases worse than others, I have also come across cases of carpal tunnel which has become hard to prove if it is a genetic or a work related problem.
When using vibration hand tools you should not use them for hours on end, you should take rest periods.
I have come across cases when there has been only short periods of exposure to vibration, some times only seconds at a time but frequent usage of the tool over the day. Which has caused HAVS.
The recommended usage time of these type of tools over the day, was a maximum of 20 minutes over the whole day, not all in one go, so that could relate to about 2.5 minutes an hour. Go see you GP! If you have got HAVS it is not going away that easy, take my word for it!

 

[diycooper]

Wish I had of knew this first, I have been using for like 6 hours at a time. House needed all render off as well so just was flying through it.