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 Over the past 20 years latex rubber usage has increased significantly and unfortunately so has the number of people suffering from an allergic response to latex gloves or products. If a person is allergic to latex they will show an allergic reaction should they touch or breath in latex, or even come into contact with another person who uses latex products.
Symptoms of a latex allergy include;
- Swelling.
- Itching.
- Rash or hives.
- Sneezing.
- Blocked or runny nose.
- In severe cases, difficulty in breathing.
Latex Allergy Testing
Skin tests are commonly used as they are easy, safe, fast and painless - typically in the form of a skin prick test.
The skin prick test consists of placing drops of a possible latex allergen on the back or forearm. The skin is then lightly pricked with a special needle to absorb the substance. After a short period of time, 10 to 20 minutes, the area is examined to see if there is any redness or swelling. An examination will normally measure the affected area and if their is a swelling larger than 3mm the test is typically considered positive.
Sometimes if a test is negative, a person might be asked to wear a latex glove for 15 to 20 minutes to see if a rash or allergic response appears on the hand.
A blood test for allergies is called a Radioallergosorbent test (RAST), where a blood sample is taken from the patient and mixed with the suspected allergen in a laboratory to see if there is any reaction. Blood tests can provide an insight into an allergy but they are typically not as accurate as a skin test.
Latex Allergy Treatment
The most effective form of treatment for a latex allergy is to avoid the allergen altogether, which involves substituting latex for another substance or not coming into contact with the latex substance causing the allergy.
Some substances which can be used instead of latex include Mylar, Leather, Vinyl, Silicone, Spandex, Lycra, Nitrile, Neoprene or Copolymer.
Although it sounds easy to avoid latex products, in practice this can be quite difficult as so many products are now made with latex. Even if a product is labelled "hypoallergenic" it does not mean they can be used in the place of latex products.
Try to eliminate latex containing products as much as possible and read labels carefully. A number of reference books and internet sites also maintain lists of products which contain latex and non-latex alternatives.
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