Diesel fume headaches?

[dave1949]

Yeah - I'm kinda thinking it's the CO in my case. When I didn't operate my tractor for a couple of weeks I didn't get them. That what got me thinking. I think my sinuses have gotten more sensitive as I've aged and I've been exposed to a lot of wood dust because of my job.

I 'd hate to have to operate my tractor with a respirator on I also have hooked up my ballast box in the garage with door open and idling while it was warming up a few times. Not good probably.


Oh and I did actually have a drink one or two nights after operating, probably did make it worse. The headaches are very debilitating when they happen, it sucks.

Are you sure you aren't developing migraine headaches? When you say debilitating, that's what comes to mind. No personal experience but used to work with a guy who had them bad. He would sometimes take 1-2 days off work. Said all he could do is take the medicine and lay in a darkened room when they hit.
Dave.

 

[LBrown59]

I have an unproven medical theory that if you have ever had a dose of carbon monoxide poisoning, you remain very sensitive to it for a long time.

I also have a problem which may be related to bifocals. If I get under the tractor for maintenance laying on my back, I get this very strong seasick feeling that comes on rapidly. This is with the engine off, so no diesel fumes. I don't get it when I lay on my back in bed and read just about every night. Is it all in my head??
Dave.

mite b

 

[dave1949]

mite b

LB - That's what scares me the most :laughing:

How are you feeling these days?
Dave.

 

[Coyote machine]

I don't think it is in anyone's head. I have had headaches from just the slightest exposure to co from gas engines, lawnmowers, etc. There is a local wood fired oven baked who was detoxed by some sort of hyperbaric (sp?) chamber due to his blood being so saturated by co from burning the wood from his oven.
I know from exposure to car exhaust from my shop ownership days I can't be around any exhaust for even the shortest time without wicked headaches that take having to sleep, once I can, and by the next day i am usually OK.
Its cumulative too! Meaning whatever level of toxins are currently in your bloodstream further exposure just makes it worse.
Migraines, neck aches and the rest all play a part too, because it is stressful running machinery if one is contentious. Frequent breaks, lots of water for hydration and a hat, etc. for hot weather all help the other symptoms.
My advice is if you think your head aches due to exhaust exposure then limit your exposure to a minimum.

 

[LBrown59]

LB - That's what scares me the most :laughing:

*How are you feeling these days?
Dave.

Doing fine.
Thanks for asking about me .

 

[mrutkaus]

Could be additives you or someone else might have put in the fuel. As I posted in Fuels/Lubrication here, I was in a closed area with a diesel with too much Store-n-Start stabilizer in the fuel. Just 7 minutes or so and serious breathing problems later in the day. Pretty sure plain diesel fuel would not have done much.

Mike

 

[SkyPup]

It is definitely NOT from carbon monoxide since diesel engines produce next to none of this gas due to the large overabundance of air in a compression engine. If it were a gasoline spark ignition engine, there would be lots of carbon monoxide.

More than likely it is due to the aldehydes in the diesel exhaust stream, in particular formaldehyde, the irritable gas they use for embalming corpses at funeral homes.

 

[Duffster]

It is definitely NOT from carbon monoxide since diesel engines produce next to none of this gas due to the large overabundance of air in a compression engine.

Really?, I have never heard of that.

 

[Gary Fowler]

Maybe just to be safe you should look at doing some rerouting of the exhaust so it doesnt just shoot out the side as you said in your first post.

 

[dmccarty]

There is a condition called Boater's Fatigue which can occur with four hours of exposure to noise, vibration, sun, glare and wind. Now I don't think we get much wind from our Go Fast Tractors but I know that if I do not wear hearing protection I get tired very quickly when running the tractor. The sun and heat gets to me as well.

Just running an open station tractor can be tiring which depending on the person could lead to headaches. Not to mentioned the sun beating down on you and not staying hydrated.

I usually get neck and back pain when mowing or box blading since I am constantly looking over my right shoulder. I don't get headaches that I can remember but the neck and back sure can hurt. Though the bone cracker we go to has really helped my back injury. :thumbsup:

Later,
Dan

 

[pitt_md]

Hey - do you think the headaches might have something to do with three Margaritas I have been having after coming in from working outside? Just kiddin.

Three should not be a problem. Now if your talking 3 pitchers well your on your own.

 

[FlaDon]

Really?, I have never heard of that.

:thumbsup:
Might be because CO poisoning can occur from a Diesel. At Idle, or if it is on the rich side, it can be as bad as a gasoline engine. Gov't testing concerning use in mines proved it.
From an NIH report:

However, in tests with this adjustment
altered, as the chemically correct mixture
was approached from the lean side,*
the concentration of carbon monoxide
increased rapidly, and the effect was
even greater when the chemically correct
mixture was exceeded on the rich
side * and concentrations of carbon
monoxide comparable to those found in
exhaust gases from gasoline engines
were observed.

And

If any advantages from the standpoint
of carbon monoxide in the exhaust
gas are to be gained from the use of
the Diesel engine as compared to the
gasoline engine, operation must be confined
to fuel-air ratios less than the
chemically correct mixture.

How long has this been known, about 70 years.

 

[Transit]

Many things will cause headaches. No one has mentioned not eating for a long time; you may have a touch of low blood sugar. Keep a protein bar handy and when you feel a headache coming on stop and eat something before the headache takes hold.
BTW, have you been checked for type II adult diabetes?

 

[SkyPup]

Properly tuned small 1 horsepower gasoline lawn mowers put out hundreds of times more CO than a properly tuned 50 horsepower diesel tractor......maybe the headaches are from too much cosmic radiation.........?

 

[FlaDon]

Properly tuned small 1 horsepower gasoline lawn mowers put out hundreds of times more CO than a properly tuned 50 horsepower diesel tractor......maybe the headaches are from too much cosmic radiation.........?

I'd like to see where you are getting that from.

 

[dave1949]

I'd like to see where you are getting that from.

Don't know about the cosmic radiation , but small lawnmower type engines make lots of pollution, they have been cleaned up considerably in the past few years. Getting rid of the 2-cycles is a major improvement too.

Small Engines Emissions
Dave.

 

[FlaDon]

Don't know about the cosmic radiation , but small lawnmower type engines make lots of pollution, they have been cleaned up considerably in the past few years. Getting rid of the 2-cycles is a major improvement too.

Small Engines Emissions
Dave.

Problem is, it's apples to oranges. A small Diesel compared to a large gasoline engine might show the same results. And a large gasoline engine can be one hundred to a thousand times cleaner than a small one. A test was done on a Cummins 5.9 Diesel and a GM 3.4L gasoline. Results only show about 1/4 to 1/3 the amounts of CO for about the same HP. http://www1.eere.energy.gov/vehiclesandfuels/pdfs/deer_2005/session2/2005_deer_mcdonald.pdf

 

[Rob-D]

Diesel is bad, read the labels. It's carcingenic and on my new tractor I,m getting a stack. I just spent 3 weeks working on and off the tractor and the diesel made me sick. I can't believe anyone likes the smell! Geeze what's wrong with this picture, the stuff will kill you, avoid it!

Rob

 

[dave1949]

Problem is, it's apples to oranges. A small Diesel compared to a large gasoline engine might show the same results. And a large gasoline engine can be one hundred to a thousand times cleaner than a small one. A test was done on a Cummins 5.9 Diesel and a GM 3.4L gasoline. Results only show about 1/4 to 1/3 the amounts of CO for about the same HP. http://www1.eere.energy.gov/vehiclesandfuels/pdfs/deer_2005/session2/2005_deer_mcdonald.pdf

Well, a lot of things 'could' be and are. I was referencing the fact that most small lawnmower-type engines are producing a lot more pollution than one might guess. As a pollutant source, they stand out like a sore thumb now compared to clean autos. I can't speak to SkyPup's 50:1 statement.
Dave.