I was painting my apartment today, and I awoke tonight with a very loud ringing in my ears. I was using latex gloss white paint. The label claims the paint does not contain lead, but I live in the Philippines, and labels are not always to be trusted here. I was sleeping in a room separate from where I was painting, and the smell was not strong due to the windows being open. I am now at a hotel, to give myself some time away from the paint fumes. The tinnitus is still very noticeable. My question is what could I have exposed myself to, and what should I do about it. I can visit my doctor in the morning, but sometimes medical knowledge is lacking here also.
Thanks in advance
Sounds like the sort of thing you would expect from a solvent-based paint. I wouldn’t be worrying about lead poisoning at all, from just painting an apartment. Unless you’ve been eating lead paint, it would take a much longer time to start showing symptoms of environmental lead poisoning.
I don’t know that you can do anything about the exposure you’ve already had, except wait out the effects in your hotel room.
It’s not a huge cause for concern, so long as you’re not constantly exposed to solvent fumes.
I just checked the MSDS (I’m not sure if they’re called that there – it’s a document that describes the hazards of chemicals) for lead carbonate and lead tetraoxide, two lead compounds that were used in paint. Neither of them lists ringing in the ears as a possible symptom, and both list things like metallic taste and abdominal pain that you didn’t mention. (Lead is more dangerous to children to adults, and it’s more dangerous with long-term exposure than a single event.)
I also looked at the MSDS for xylenes, a solvent commonly used in paints, and it does list ringing in the ears as a symptom. (The smell of xylene is very characteristic, but it’s something you’d have to learn. It’s a sweet smell sort of like toluene – the smell of many model airplane glues – but slightly different.) Other symptoms include nausea, vomiting, headache, and difficulty breathing. Not all paints contain xylene; I checked a few other MSDS for various paints and solvents used in paints, but xylene was the only one that mentioned tinnitus. The MSDS does suggest seeking medical attention, as they almost always do. If tinnitus was the only symptom you experienced, you were probably not exposed to a particularly large amount, but it’d still be a good idea to see a doctor. Unfortunately, these MSDS do not include information for the physician but it may still be useful if you print out the MSDS or provide any other information you can find on what might have been in the paint.
Having applied a lot of latex paint without tinnitus effects it appears to me that the painting and tinnitus are NOT related but coincidental.
Whenever I sense the beginnings of tinnitus I shake my head as vigorously as possible for a few seconds or so till it goes away. Seems to have some connection with the little solid particles in the inner ear which get out of pocket. Work for me.