What is Redtide?? (Sarasota, Fort Myers, Venice: hotel, vacation, health)

[sickfromredtide]

Originally Posted by oceandreams94

Hi sickfromredtide, yes its you who I was thinking about! How horrible! I am so sorry!

Jen

I wish this board were here when I was checking out the SW Florida area, it was just starting out so there was no info about it here. I had to learn the hard way. We have since moved back to the Keys where we're much happier, its a shame because it is such a beautiful area and I don't think the people that have been living there for a long time really don't get it. The looks that I would get when the subject was brought up was astonishing

[Jammie]

Originally Posted by sickfromredtide

I wish this board were here when I was checking out the SW Florida area, it was just starting out so there was no info about it here. I had to learn the hard way. We have since moved back to the Keys where we're much happier, its a shame because it is such a beautiful area and I don't think the people that have been living there for a long time really don't get it. The looks that I would get when the subject was brought up was astonishing

What areas are affected by redtide? Wouldn't there also be a problem with it in the Keys?

I know I've told you before, Redtide, but I'm SO sorry about what happened.

[FL_TN_Nana]

I experienced a really bad allergic reaction to redtide when we were vacationing in Long Boat Key. I couldn't figure out what was wrong with me until someone at a restaurant told me what was going on. I finally just took enough Benadryl to almost knock me out and I stayed in the room most of the time -- and left early. The one time we did walk on the beach it was full of dead fish and workers were out early the next morning scooping them up.

It's a horrible thing to hit the coast. I know I couldn't live there as beautiful as it is most of the time!

[sunrico90]

Originally Posted by Jammie

What areas are affected by redtide? Wouldn't there also be a problem with it in the Keys?

I know I've told you before, Redtide, but I'm SO sorry about what happened.

See below;
REGIONAL RED TIDE SUMMARIES (May 25)

East Region: No event.

Northwest Region: No Karenia brevis, the Florida red tide organism was detected this week in samples collected south of Pensacola (Escambia County) and Destin (Okaloosa County), or in samples collected late last week south of Panama City (Bay County).

Southwest Region: No Karenia brevis, the Florida red tide organism, was detected alongshore this week in samples collected between Pinellas and Monroe counties.

The FWRI Red Tide Status Line is now available to callers to hear a recording detailing red tide conditions throughout the state. FWRI updates the recording each Friday by 5 p.m. after sampling efforts for the week have been completed and analyzed. Red Tide Status Line: (866) 300-9399 (toll-free inside Florida only); (727) 552-2448 (outside Florida).

http://research.myfwc.com/features/v...e.asp?id=12373

[sickfromredtide]

Originally Posted by Jammie

What areas are affected by redtide? Wouldn't there also be a problem with it in the Keys?

I know I've told you before, Redtide, but I'm SO sorry about what happened.

It seems to be centered in the Venice area and streching out as far south to Naples and north to the Tampa area, it does occasionally get blown down with a north wind to the Keys but I've never experienced it getting airbourne. In the 10 years I've been in Key West it was a concern only once about it killing fish but never got airbourne. It wasn't untill I moved to Venice that I experienced the choking air on the beach, I had no idea that it was that bad..

[Anne1125]

As we're expecting to retire to Englewood can you tell me how often it strikes?

[sickfromredtide]

Originally Posted by Anne1125

As we're expecting to retire to Englewood can you tell me how often it strikes?

Here's a link to some research done about it. It seems to strike in the summer months when the water is very warm but looking at the stats from the past it has been high levels through December. There's alot of info on the web about the affects to humans and the more I find the scarier it gets. If you live at least 5 miles from the water, chances are you won't feel it. It only took 1 visit to the beach during the height of Red Tide in late July 2006 to make my Mother ill. In September 2006 Sarasota County started an alert system to warn of high levels... just a little too late for my Mom...
The other scary part is that Doctors in the area refused to admit it was a problem. As my Mother laid in the Critical Care Unit on a breathing machine at Venice Regional, only the nurses on duty would tell us about how bad the Red Tide was. I wonder how many people are dieing from it and they just cover it up and blame it on old age or something else. We knew when the biopsy came back from a second lab that we requested exactly what it was. At first they told us it was a disease.

Study: Red tide may weaken people's immune systems | Gainesville.com | The Gainesville Sun | Gainesville, Fla.

Fish and Wildlife Research Institute

Sarasota County Beach Reports

[Jammie]

Thank you for already answering my next question. I was just wondering how far inland you have to be to not get the affects from redtide.

It sounds like it basically causes pneumonia. Does it ever affect the sinuses? Does it happen in other areas then Fla., such as S.C.?

[sickfromredtide]

Originally Posted by Jammie

Thank you for already answering my next question. I was just wondering how far inland you have to be to not get the affects from redtide.

It sounds like it basically causes pneumonia. Does it ever affect the sinuses? Does it happen in other areas then Fla., such as S.C.?

From what I've read from research it really depends on the wind speed and direction, if its blowing out of the west it carries it inland, how far? who knows. The house I own in Venice is 3 blocks from the Intercoastal Waterway and when I was out walking my dogs I would cough the whole time and have no idea why untill I saw it on the news last year, then I started doing alot of research and found tons of info on it and honestly I more worried about my dogs getting sick at the time. I had know idea that it could humans that way. Apparently if you have any kind of lung disorder or bad asthma it could cause inflamed lungs or ARDS. I don't know if it has any long term affects but I wasn't sticking around to find out, so I moved my wife and 2 year old daughter out of there and back to the Keys.
As far as where it goes depends on the Gulf Stream. It gets pick up in the current and could carry it to the Carolinas where the Stream runs close to shore, it just doesn't stick around because of that current. In Venice they have what is called the Dead Zone in the Gulf because it just doesn't move when levels are high and it kills everything that goes through it. Last summer at Venice and Manasota Beach I saw turtles washing up dead, Manatee gasping for air and tons of dead fish all over the beach during the height of Red Tide.

[FLANATIVE1]

Well, red tide affects everyone differently. I personally can't even tell when an outbreak has occured. I have been at the beach plenty of times during red tide and the only way I can tell there is a bloom is because all the dead marine life washes up on shore. You only have to worry about red tide if you are very young, very old, or have breathing problems. Other than that, red tide really isn't anything more than an anoyance (sp?) I just wish they could figure out what was causing it!