Latex Allergy
A latex allergy isn’t all that common but for the people who are allergic it can be a serious problem. In the most severe cases contact with latex can result in anaphylaxis. Unfortunately avoiding latex can be a challenge since so many products contain it. There are non-latex substitutes for most of these products but that doesn’t help if the people around you are using latex products. If you are allergic you will need to take responsibility for making sure that you are not exposed to latex.
Latex is just rubber and it is used in a number of products. An allergy to latex is caused by the proteins in the rubber. Latex is a natural rubber that comes from the liquid in the rubber tree and it is the proteins that gives latex the qualities that make it so useful, unfortunately it is also what makes people allergic to latex. It is primarily rubber gloves, balloons and condoms that cause latex allergies. This is because they are so thin and they stretch so much, this means that they are very high in the proteins that cause the allergies.
In most cases a latex allergy will result in a rash. It can also cause your eyes to water and your nose to run. In more serious cases anaphylaxis is possible. This is a serious medical condition that requires immediate medical care. In general if you have other allergies you are more likely to have an allergy to latex. This is because in most cases allergies in food are caused by proteins just like in latex. That means that there is a significant cross reactivity. If you have asthma you are also more likely to have an allergy to latex than people who don’t.
If you are allergic to latex the best way to deal with it is to avoid the use of latex products. This can be easier said than done since latex is so widely used. However in most cases there are substitutes available that are made without latex. The bigger problem that you are going to encounter is that other people around you may be using latex products and expose you. This would be things like when you go to the doctor; he would likely touch you with latex gloves unless you tell him that you have an allergy to latex. If you have an allergy you will need to make sure that everybody knows and nobody touches you with latex.
A lot of latex products like gloves come with a powder on them. This is to prevent them sticking together in the box but it also increases latex allergies. The latex proteins can be absorbed by the powder and spread around since the powder can float in the air. If you have a latex allergy you are going to have to make sure that people around you are not using latex gloves that are packed in powder.