How to Live With an Allergy to Latex

Latex allergies are becoming more common as more and more products are
manufactured with this material. Fortunately, there are alternatives to most latex
products, but close observation is still needed to make sure you do not come
into contact with it.

Difficulty: Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Bromelain
• Quercetin
• Vinyl Gloves
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin C

1. Let your supervisor at work know that you are allergic to latex if you are employed in health care or any other industry that uses a wide variety of latex products.

2. Use vinyl gloves instead of latex ones, or use gloves made of a synthetic latex.

3. Tell your dentist and doctor that you are allergic to latex. They will need to wear gloves made of nonlatex material.

4. Read clothing labels. Clothing may contain elastic made from latex. Watch for clothing that is stretchy or rubbery, such as socks.

5. Watch for rubber toys if your child has a latex allergy. Read the labels on toy products, and check with the manufacturer if you have any concerns or suspicions.

6. Avoid blowing up balloons, which are usually made with latex.

7. Avoid rubber bands, which are usually made with latex.

8. Use natural skin condoms. Regular condoms are made from latex. Natural skin condoms are effective for pregnancy prevention, but do not protect against HIV.

9. Avoid using a diaphragm as a birth control method.

10. Watch what you eat. Certain foods contain some of the same allergens as those in latex, and can trigger an allergic reaction. Foods to watch for are bananas, avocados, kiwifruit and chestnuts.

11. Be careful with bandages and other adhesive tape. Replace with plastic tape or paper tape.

12. Supplement your diet with vitamin C with added bioflavonoids, 1,000 to 5,000 mg daily, or quercetin, 500mg twice daily. They both help your body tolerate allergens and boost immune function.

13. Take bromelain, 100mg twice daily. It enhances the absorption of quercetin.

Tips & Warnings

• Avoiding latex products is challenging because so many products are made with it. Unlike with other allergens, it is impossible to build immunity to latex by getting allergy shots. The only method of dealing with it is avoidance.
• Other foods that may trigger a latex allergy are apples, carrots, celery, papaya, potatoes, tomatoes and melon.
• Get a medical alert bracelet stating that you are allergic to latex in case you ever need emergency care. So many items in a hospital are made from latex that a warning is necessary to avoid a potentially life-threatening reaction.

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on 11/22/2005 I started getting sore throat problems along with losing my voice after my allergy started to kick in. After doing some thinking, I started asking restaurants to make sure they didn't touch my food with latex gloves on, and the problems stopped. Many restaurants we visit on a regular basis started to ask me about the allergy and switched to non-latex gloves out of concern for their patrons and their staff!

on 11/22/2005 Natural skin condoms do not prevent HIV. Try plastic condoms, male or female, instead of latex. Or layer a latex and a skin condom so that the person with the allergy is not exposed. For more info, call the National AIDS hotline 800-342-AIDS.