Adam’s Journal
It seems that pretty much every time I go to the doctor’s, someone – or some form – asks me if I’m allergic to latex. Happily, I’m not. But it always strikes me as sort of strange that some people would have an allergy to rubber. Is this common?
Dr. Scofield Prescribes
Natural rubber latex is everywhere. Most visibly, at least for those of us who work in medicine or research at places like the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, it’s in surgical gloves.
Invented in 1890 by a surgeon at Johns Hopkins University, latex gloves have remained widely used in healthcare and laboratory settings due to their strength, flexibility, the protection they offer, and low cost to produce.
Latex can also be found in a dizzying array of other products: toothbrushes, mascara, socks, baby toys, basketballs, tires, duct tape, and much, much more. A bill introduced in Congress about latex exposure stated that more than 40,000 consumer products contain it.
The issue with latex is that its production begins with the sap of the rubber tree. That sap contains 15 proteins that can cause allergies. In fact, those with latex allergy are often also allergic to tropical fruits and nuts, most commonly bananas, kiwis, chestnuts and avocados.
In the general population, studies have found that about 4% of people are allergic to latex. But that number jumps to 10% or more among healthcare workers.
This may seem odd, but the reason is that latex allergies grow with repeated exposure. So, what can start as an often asymptomatic sensitivity can progress to itchy skin, rash, cough, asthma and even anaphylactic reactions.
Healthcare workers and researchers routinely rack up exposures, mainly through their use of latex gloves. So do restaurant workers and people who undergo multiple surgeries, and both of these groups have been found to have elevated levels of latex allergies.
The course of these allergies is unpredictable. In some, symptoms build slowly over the years. For others, they can go from no reaction to latex products to life-threatening anaphylactic shock without warning.
So, count yourself lucky not to have experienced latex allergy. Still, stay aware, as the past is no guarantee that the allergy will not take hold at some point.
If it does, there is no cure – just avoidance. That means watching out not only for latex gloves but also for a dizzying array of other items ranging from condoms to plastic bags.
For people with the allergy, even something as seemingly innocuous as a balloon can trigger a life-threatening reaction. One doctor put it in perspective: “Children’s birthday parties are a menace.”
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Dr. Hal Scofield is a physician-scientist at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, and he also serves as Associate Chief of Staff for Research at the Oklahoma City VA Medical Center. Adam Cohen is OMRF’s senior vice president and general counsel. Send your health questions to contact@omrf.org.
