Living with a Latex Allergy - What Should You Know About Latex in Your House
Oct 27 '05
The Bottom Line Latex can be difficult, if not impossible to avoid. Education is key when someone in your home has a latex allergy.
What is Latex?
Latex is a compound derived by mixing a compound from the rubber tree with other chemicals. The proteins in the latex are what cause an allergic reaction in sensitive individual. Latex is found in a variety of medical and household products.
What is a Latex Allergy?
Reactions to latex can be divided into 3 categories. First, some people are allergic to the chemicals added to the rubber to manufacture latex. This generally results in a rash where the latex has come into contact with the skin. It is also possible for people to develop a rash from the actual latex. This is not considered an allergy but rather a sensitivity. Finally there is a true latex allergy. A reaction can be caused by either coming in contact with a product containing latex or by inhaling latex particles from the air. A true latex allergy may include a rash, hives, runny nose, faintness, difficult breathing and anaphylactic shock.
Who Is At Risk for Developing a Latex Allergy
A latex allergy is something that develops over time from repeated exposure to products containing latex. People at highest risk are those that are exposed to latex in the workplace. This generally includes workers how produce latex products, medical professionals and others who wear gloves. Other high risk groups are those who have been hospitalized frequently, especially at an early age. People who have food allergies, particularly allergies to bananas, chestnuts, kiwi fruit, avocado and tomato are at a higher risk for developing an allergy to latex.
How is a Latex Allergy Treated?
There is no real treatment. The only way to avoid an allergic reaction is to avoid products containing latex. Unfortunately latex is everywhere so this is often easier said than done. Medications can be given to lessen the effects of an allergic reaction, such as Benadryl for itching related to hives. A diagnosis of a latex allergy is usually made based on a patient interview and correlation of reactions to latex exposure. A blood test is available to confirm a latex allergy.
What Products Contain Latex?
As with many allergens there are obvious sources of latex and some that you might not expect. Rubber gloves, balloons, paint and condoms probably quickly come to mind as products that are made from latex. But how about computer mouse pads, erasers, disposable diapers, remote control buttons and the elastic in your underwear? Yes, latex can be there too. It isn’t difficult to find lists of latex-free items for purchase, the real problem is to know that you have to consider that a product may contain latex to begin with.
Living with a Latex Allergy
I was recently diagnosed with a latex allergy. This wasn’t a surprise since I’ve had a sensitivity to latex for a long time. Band-Aids and rubber gloves have given me a rash since I was a teenager. I can’t eat kiwi or raw tomatoes because they burn my mouth. Most likely the month I spent in and out of the hospital during my last pregnancy put my body over the edge. I’ve gone from just a rash to having breathing difficulties. Simply putting a Band-Aid on a cut can leave me short of breath for hours after removing it.
It took me a while before I figured out that latex was probably the root of my problems. I had been having periodic episodes of shortness of breath. I finally correlated my breathing problems to the days when I painted around the house using latex paint. A trip to the doctor and a discussion of my past problems with latex and recent hospitalizations made a true latex allergy the likely cause.
At the suggestion of my doctor, my next step was to remove an unnecessary latex from our house. When I started doing research I realized what a daunting task this could be. Some things were obvious, such as some gloves I had for cleaning, Band-Aids and I purchased a respirator to wear for the painting that I had finish. The biggest obstacle was to know which items in the house might contain latex. My doctor assured me that if I removed the most obvious latex from my house I should be fine, but that each exposure to latex does increase the chance of a serious allergic reaction and can make me more sensitive to smaller concentrations of latex. And of course I will have to tell ever medical professional I come in contact with so precautions can be made to provide me with as much of a latex-free environment as possible.
I did opt to replace some small items. I threw out rubber gripped tooth brushes and replaced them with the plain handled variety. I’ve also thrown out the non-skid bathmats in favor of throws. I am also giving up my favorite comfort grip pencils. When in doubt I throw it out. Fortunately many manufacturers are aware of the prevalence of latex allergies and information about what products contain latex is available. Still the information is not as easy as reading the packaging of a product. Many manufacturers have come a long way toward providing appropriate listings for common food allergies, but latex becomes more of a guessing game. So far with major US manufacturers I can get quick responses via e-mail, but it is one extra step I have to take before using a new product.
There are some items that are difficult to do without. After finally finding a bottle my son would take I am not about to explain to my 6 month old that I am going to toss out his latex nipples. Fortunately if my son is drinking from a bottle I am not the one feeding him so that isn’t a big issue. I’m not about to toss out all of our remote controls because their buttons may contain latex. Since there is no simple way to test these items for the presence of latex I’ve opted to continue to flip the television from the comfort of my couch. There is also no way to know how much latex I can be around on a daily basis before I have an allergic reaction. For now it is a guessing and waiting game.
Final Thoughts
I am fortunate that, at least for now, my latex allergy is not life threatening. It is scary not to be able to catch my breath after being exposed to latex, often unknowingly until it is too late. When dealing with a latex allergy education is critical since it is often difficult what items actually contain latex. For safety sake it is best to assume that any product that contains what is often generally referred to as “rubber” or “elastic” may contain latex and should be avoided.
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