Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with stinging

Why/how did metal bathroom fixtures "sting" me?

drycleanonly — Mon, 28 May 2007 17:02:47 -0800

Why/how did metal bathroom fixtures "sting" me? Two years ago, I spent some time doing fieldwork in Poland with some other volunteers. We all shared a local house and one bathroom -- a few weeks into our stay some of us began to notice that the bathroom fixtures would “sting” when touched.

The nature of the fieldwork was such that as time went on, our hands got more and more scratched and beat-up, which I think may have had something to do with it. Essentially, when I (and others) would touch the running faucets, it felt like they were vibrating really, really fast and there was a sharp sensation similar to being pricked by pins. It was actually pretty painful. It got worse when my hands were kind of scratched up, and that seems to be everyone else’s experience, as well. We ended up having to put wash-cloths over the knobs so we could turn on the sink and shower. All of the fixtures appeared to be made out of that sort of cheaper, standard metal that basic faucets are frequently made of (I don’t know what it was -- a quick google search makes it look like polished brass is a pretty common material?).

I’ve never experienced this anywhere else, and I’ve wondered about it ever since. Does anyone know what might have caused it?

itchy stinging legs during physical activity.

breeze01 — Tue, 15 Nov 2005 18:40:29 -0800

I get itchy and stinging legs (no hives) when I jog for 15 minutes (indoor or outdoor, hot or cold weather) and when I hike in cold weathers. When I stop walking or jogging, while I am still outside, it disappears after a while. Any contact to my skin during this period, triggers the itching and stinging. I tried to wear different fabrics, from cotton to microfibres, and applied mosturizing lotions, nothing worked. I had allergy test that is clean. I don’t know if any relation to this but most of the times my legs are cooler than my rest of body, even in indoor. Any body has an idea what is this?

Why Do My Father's Eyes Sting Only in the Kitchen?

crazy finger — Sat, 12 Feb 2005 15:29:39 -0800

My father's eyes sting when we use the kitchen... My father, a hypochondriac, has problems with his eyes any time we use a toaster, toaster-oven, or oven to make anything in our kitchen. I am only living in his house for another month, but I want to be able to cook. Does anybody have any thoughts or recommendations on things he should do?

We have tried cleaning the appliances, turning on exhaust fans, and eye drops. Any thoughts are appreciated.