Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Latex Allergy

Could you Have a Latex Allergy?

When you work in the health care profession you may have discovered a rash on your hands when you wear latex gloves. This is not just dry skin it is usually a latex allergy that caused it. A latex allergy is very uncomfortable, especially if you wear gloves often throughout your day. If you do have a latex allergy you may find that anywhere you touch on your body after taking off gloves that contain latex will break out, leaving you feeling very uncomfortable. After a few days without contact with the latex gloves you will soon start to heal and your rash will disappear. There are more severe cases where the symptoms are much more severe so it basically depends on how much you are allergic to latex to see the symptoms as mild to severe.

If you do not work in the health profession, you may realize that you have a latex allergy when you go to visit the doctor. If he or she uses latex gloves and you begin to break out or have other allergy symptoms shortly after your doctor’s visit you may want to contact your doctor to let him or her know. Depending on the severity of you latex allergy he or she may recommend that you come right back in to see them or you may be recommended to take Benedryl or another antihistamine blocker until the latex allergy reaction is over. From now on you will need to tell a doctor about your latex allergy before your examination to avoid another latex allergy reaction. You can not only come in contact with latex but did you know you can also inhale latex?

So you don't necessarily need to be in the medical profession in order to have a latex allergy. There are other products that contain latex and you may very well find that you have a latex allergy to them as well. Ask your doctor for a list of products that you should avoid to prevent a latex allergy. He or she may have a list that has been made so you can avoid another latex allergy. Some of the symptoms you may notice include sneezing, watery eyes, coughing, breaking out in hives, having trouble breathing. These are just general symptoms and not always the symptoms specifically for a latex allergy.

What you need to avoid

Some of the most common products that contain latex are in your home. You may have had a latex allergy for a while now and the symptoms have been mild enough that you passed them off as seasonal allergies. Some of the products you may need to avoid include: carpet, waistbands on clothes, all purpose dishwashing gloves, disposable diapers and sanitary pads. At work you may use rubber bands and erasers which also contain latex. Other items include condoms; handle bar handgrips from bikes and motorcycles, racket handles, goggles for swimming, condoms, and Diaphragms. These are only a few of the products you may find to have latex in them which will cause latex allergy.

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