Everything you need to know about your latex allergy

7th December 2022

Everything you need to know about your latex allergy

Sometimes, allergies come from the strangest, most unexpected places. We’re all likely familiar with the most common ones. There are some who are allergic to certain foods. Others react to the pollen in the air. You might even have an allergy like that yourself. Those ones we’ve definitely heard of.

But what about something like a latex allergy? The idea of putting on some rubber gloves and breaking out in hives might seem bizarre, but it can certainly happen. According to some estimates, around 4% of people can have the condition. That might not sound like much, but that’s 1 in every 25 people. So what is a latex allergy, what are its symptoms, and what can you do about it?

What is a latex allergy?

When you react to latex, it is your reaction to certain proteins found in natural rubber latex. This will come from a rubber tree typically. As with any allergy, your body is responding to something it sees as a threat, even though it isn’t. Note that there are synthetic forms of latex, but people don’t tend to react to this. So we’re focusing on the natural variety.

Believe it or not, latex is very prevalent in our lives. Many common objects will be made out of latex. If it’s made from rubber, for example, the chances are it will have latex in it. Some of the products you might come across include:

• Rubber gloves
• Medical gloves
• Balloons
• Condoms
• Erasers
• Rubber bands
• Elastic (used in clothing)
• Adhesive plasters

Symptoms of a latex allergy

So how do you know if you’re having a bad reaction to latex? There are some symptoms that are likely to show up, and they will be familiar to anyone dealing with contact dermatitis. These include:

• Itching
• Rashes
• Hives
• Redness on the skin
• Swelling

You may notice that these happen around the area where the latex has touched. So if you blow up a balloon, you may notice your lips start to swell. If you have intercourse with a condom, you may find it uncomfortable around those regions.

At its worst, a latex allergy can even cause anaphylaxis. This is a significant reaction that can cause breathing problems, loss of consciousness, and even death. You should always take an allergy like this seriously.

How to live with a latex allergy

The most obvious piece of advice – but one we’ll give all the same – is avoid latex where you can. Even if you only suspect an allergy for now. It’s not such a critical part of life that it can’t be put to the side, even temporarily.

As latex is common in medical gloves, this might be an issue for any doctor or dentist visits. Make sure to let them know ahead of time that this will be an issue. Give them a good 24 hour warning as a courtesy, though they should have a plan in place for situations like this anyway.

And as soon as you can, get yourself tested for the condition if you haven’t already. You don’t want a severe allergic reaction to catch you off guard. Once you know for sure that you have a latex allergy, you can take the appropriate steps to protect yourself.

If you ever have concerns about a potential latex allergy – or any allergy period – then get in touch with our team of allergists today. Our experts can guide you through your condition and help you with any lifestyle adjustments. Feel free to register as a new patient, or simply call us on 02031 433 449.

Everyday items that could be causing allergy symptoms

4th May 2018

Everyday items that could be causing allergy symptoms

Experiencing skin irritation, rashes, watery eyes, and a runny nose is annoying. But what is even more annoying is experiencing these allergy symptoms and not knowing why. Is it an allergy? If so, what are you allergic to? Is your detergent a bit too strong for your skin? Are you developing hay fever? You just don’t know. Luckily, allergy tests are available to identify the cause of your symptoms. If you haven’t gotten around to being tested yet, here are some everyday items that you may never have suspected could cause allergy-like symptoms in you or your child.

Your phone and electronics

This isn’t just our way of telling you to stop spending so much time on your phone. Some handsets and other electronics contain metals like nickel and cobalt which cause skin irritation at the point of contact. Allergic Living found a surge in the number of reported nickel sensitivities/allergies. Not helpful as we succumb further to the digital age.

Jewellery and accessories

Similarly to the above, a lot of jewellery and accessories contain metals that cause skin irritation or rashes. Nickel, for example, is found in glasses, belts, earrings, coins, keys, and underwire in bras. If you’re experiencing skin irritation on your body as it comes into contact with a suspicious metal, it is worth finding out if this could be caused by contact with a metal that you’re sensitive to.

Clothing

It may be unusual for a person to be allergic to clothes fibres but sometimes it does happen. People have been known to be allergic to lanolin, a fatty substance found on sheep’s wool. But, more commonly, people are allergic or sensitive to finishing resins, dyes, glues, and chemicals found in clothing, bags, and shoes. This can cause skin irritation.

Latex

Latex allergies are not unheard of, but sometimes you may not realise which household products contain latex and can trigger a reaction. These include children’s toys, balloons, rubber bands, shoe soles, gloves, paint, bandages, condoms, baby bottles, raincoats, sports equipment, and buttons. That’s a lot to look out for, but it may be necessary if you think you have a latex allergy.

Alcohol

Sulphites in wine have been known to trigger asthma symptoms in people with asthma. Also when coming into contact with alcohol, some people experience rhinitis, sneezing, and coughing.

Trees

It is no secret that pollen from trees causes hay fever and nuts from them can cause severe allergic reactions. But you can also be allergic to sap from trees such as Pine. Usually, you have to touch the sap to experience the allergy symptoms or irritation. But, for example, if you burn a lot of pine at once, allergens can also travel through the air.

Not all of these allergy symptoms will be a result of having a true allergy to these common items. Nor is a complete list, missing off things like cosmetics. Sometimes, irritation can occur if you are sensitive to a substance, without going through the physical process of having an allergic reaction. But, symptoms of sensitivity may mimic those of an allergic reaction.

To be on the safe side, you can book an allergy test with one of our consultants. We offer a range of simple, accurate allergy tests that test you for over 100 allergies at once so that you can have peace of mind when it comes to your health.