Latex Allergy: A Hot Button Issue

Latex gloves…you see them everywhere. You used to see them mostly at hospitals or on food service workers. Now you see them at your own doctor's and dentist's offices…when they are working on YOU.

Partly due to AIDS, many more are in use, many more are being manufactured, and many more are being made as cheaply as possible. And therein lies the rub. More and more people are developing an allergic reaction to them.

The biggest problem is with powdered gloves…easy to get on and off but when they come off the powder goes up in the air and can land on or be inhaled by the nearest individual.

Fortunately, the newer manufacturers are making them without powder. But for many, the damage has already been done. One of the things we have learned is that no one should use the powdered gloves.

Synthetic latex is available now but it is much more expensive. There are also vinyl gloves and other synthetics, but they can tear more easily.

And gloves are just the most common tip of the iceberg. Think of latex balloons, condoms, diaphragms, computer mouse pads, and balls… to name a few.

What are the symptoms of latex allergy and what else do you need to know?

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