Handling cardboard and allergy. Please help.

[Benbay001]

Ive spent the week dealing with the recycling at work.
Part of the job involves loading cardboard into a compactor.
It seems that i have some sort of allergy- or am being bitten by something living in the cardboard.

My ankles are covered in some very itchy red spots. They may be bites, they may not be.

Any ideas? Ill try and provide as much detail as i can.

[Benbay001]

I should also add that i had these lumps a couple weeks back, when i did the recycling job for 3 consecutive days. As soon as i came off the job and back onto my usual role the lumps went. They reappeared tuesday morning.
Im fairly confident they are related to the cardboard.

And yes, ive checked my bedding thoroughly.

[dandarez]

Don't second guess. Looks like bites or reaction, but that's guessing. If you don't want to see a GP ask to see a nurse there, or easier go into nearest chemist and ask a pharmacist, quick, no appointment (the worst is a queue) - he/she will soon tell you what they think and whether you need treatment or to see a GP.

[Z4monster]

Could well be paper fleas. We've had them in our office before and they have bitten plenty of people but never me.

Quick google assures mne that these don't exist. However we have had flea bites in the office and usually where paper/cardboard is stored. Maybe they are animal fleas which have transferred. Any cats sleeping in your cardboard area? Especially if they are feral, they are likely to be affected.

Or it could be a cardboard allergy as you suggested.

Edited by Z4monster on Saturday 20th December 10:26

[Benbay001]

Some good news.
I was covering the job because the person who usually does it had been sacked.
Yesterday he was replaced so im back to normal duties

Thank you for your thoughts.