Number of people who are suffering from latex allergy is increasing ever day. Latex is substances used for making various products, such as: balloons, rubber gloves, condoms, and other elastic products. Latex is found in Africa, but not only that it is used for making above mentioned products, but also it could be used and for making products in various areas such as healthcare products, intravenous tubing, syringes, dressings, stethoscopes, bandages and other. It is question how healthcare worker or consumers could to avoid usage of latex or better said: how you can control latex allergy.
At beginning, it is necessary to know that there are two sources of latex allergy, which produces two various allergic reactions. One type of latex allergy reaction is showed by minor skin rash and it affects on immune system. Usually, this types comes with usage of the chemical additives for making rubber gloves.
Other type of latex reaction is followed with different symptoms and body reaction, such as: red hives, causing, itching of eyes and nose, runny nose, rhinitis or also known as hay fever and at last asthma. In very rear situation, latex allergy may cause anaphylaxis, which cause less airflow and swelling and which may in the worst situation if it is not treated properly, caused and suddenly death.
Usage of latex is in developing, same as prevalence of latex allergy. Doctors who are using latex to protect themselves from infections or infectious diseases with touching patient’s urine, face, blood or other organism that may pass through the body organism and infect doctors. Actually, more and more medical staff are using latex gloves for protecting them selves, even in the most common checking of the health of patients such as checking pus or other.
The result of too much usage of latex is increasing of the latex allergy. Also, it should to mention that increasing of the latex allergy also comes because of too much usage by people who have predisposition for latex allergy. There is a study that shows that cornstarch which is used for easier using of latex, especially in putting gloves on and off absorbs and shed proteins into the air. This also influence on spreading latex allergy through the air.
There is also option which you may use for protecting yourself from potential latex allergy reaction. Actually, you may to do blood testing for determining are you positive on latex or not. Knowledge that you are allergic on the latex may save you from unwanted situation that latex allergy may produce.
Skin test is procedure where small amount of the latex components are injecting into your skin. So, if your skin show some symptoms of the latex allergy, such as swelling in the area where you have injected latex components, you will know that you are allergic on latex. Another method is blood testing.
There are various symptoms that may cause latex, but some of the most usual symptoms are: runny nose, difficult breathing, especially shortness breath, wheezing, skin rashes, itchy skin, asthma and other.
