Touched a Sponge! EEEK

Question
Hi. I unintentionally touched a sponge while diving in St. Vincent and the Grenadines...3 weeks ago. My three fingers that touched were irritated and I kept them in vinegar as much as possible at the time. Now, three weeks later I have 6 blister like things on my fingers and hand. Another 4 have dried up and gone away, leaving the skin dry and hard and a bit itchy. The blisters are sensitive and sore and do not seem to be getting better. They are not 'infected'. No redness or heat. Feels like I have a mini-thing in them. Can almost see it, but I may be imagining it. I hate to think of myself as a host to a stow-a-way from Bequia!

Any advice for me? P L E A S E

Answer
Hi Marjorie,

I'm sorry to hear that you've run into an inhospitable sponge!!  Your problem is not unusual and you've handled it well.  Many sponges, as you well know, are venomous but the action of the venom is not well understood.  Touching them bare-handed will expose you to the effects of their venom.  The standard treatment is to pat the affected area dry and gently remove any remaining sponge tissue.  Then soak the area with vinegar.  This can be done several times a day until relief is obtained.  The blisters should gradually go away.  You can use skin cream or over-the-counter steroid cream to soothe your skin if it gets overly dry and itchy.  The  "mini-thing" is probably a silica spicule from the support structure of the sponge.  It is very small, extremely brittle and clear or whitish in color. It is not venomous but, as you well know, is an irritant.  You can try removing them using adhesive tape but, even if you don't remove them, they will eventually be expelled by your body.  This usually happens when your body produces pressure around the spicule and forces it out the way it went in.  Not a pleasant thought but...it works.  After the spicule is removed, the blister should heal quickly.  I agree with you that there's probably no infection at this point.  You can relax...you didn't host any living stow-a-ways!!  The spicule is simply silica (kind of like a glass sliver) and is produced by the sponge as a support structure for it's tissues.

People vary in their sensitivity to some of these toxins and your skin reaction may be a little more than what most people experience.  However, it's certainly not life threatening and should resolve itself over time.  If you're concerned, I'd suggest contacting a dermatologist.

Marjorie, I hope this provides the information you were looking for and I hope the rest of those blisters go away soon!!

Sincerely,

Mike Giles
Mike's Dive Center
mikescuba.com