photo courtesy of the American Latex Allergy Association (ALAA)
After spending 15 years as a surgery technician, Sue began to experience odd symptoms after she worked a few days in a row; swollen eyes, hand rash and itchy skin. When she was not working, she felt fine. Progressively getting sicker and sicker she was sensitizing herself, unknowingly, to latex. Her doctors couldn’t pin point the problem, but after nine deaths due to latex allergies at a local children’s hospital, her physician tested her for latex allergies. Eureka! They found the sources of her symptoms and was immediately moved to office work.
photo courtesy of Twitter
Unfortunately, the medical charts were contaminated with latex from physicians wearing latex gloves while handling the charts! Not only was Sue no longer to keep her medical career, she couldn’t board an airplane due to flight attendants and cleaning crews who wear latex gloves! I learned that the powder inside latex gloves acts as a carrier since it binds with the latex protein and helps to move the latex to other surfaces. A latex allergy is clearly a tough allergy to manage.
Sue immediately co-founded the Facebook to help others sort out life with latex allergies now that Sue was becoming an expert. After nine years, Sue was ready to take back on air travel.
She shares her tips for flying with a Latex Allergy today….
Create a flight checklist.
Call the airline and ask for their allergy and anaphylaxis policy.
Carry your Flight Rights in case you get bumped from flight a consumer guide One of your flight rights is that if you write to the airline’s CEO regarding an issue, the airline must respond within 30 days.
Choose a latex safe flight.
Ask if latex gloves will be worn by food service staff, maintenance crews who clean in-between flights or in their first aid kits.
Side bar: all first aid kits that contain latex gloves can be a problem–this tip had me checking my car first aid kit!
If food service staff use latex gloves, then pack your food.
Your goal is to keep your environment safe and this includes TSA, who has stopped using Latex gloves since 2002.
If you are flying international, then you’ll to do extra home work. Europe seems to be latex allergy savvy, but Asia is unknown.
Learn the epinephrine policy of the airports you will be traveling through and carry a signed letter from your allergist regarding carrying your epinephrine auto-injectors (such as EpiPen® Auto-Injectors).
Advise ground and flight crews of your latex allergy.
Inform the people around you regarding your allergy, it is better to advocate and educate before an actual emergency occurs.
Always wear your medic alert bracelet.
I also learned that Latex allergies can result in a rash or full blown anaphylaxis, therefore, folks with latex allergies need to always be prepared. There are so many common everyday products that I had personally never gave a second though about, such as balloons (I’m all about Mylar balloons now), rubber bands, toys, etc.
One very interesting item that has popped up in the world of latex is how the FDA is currently managing latex. Apparently, the FDA is feeling there is no way to test properly for latex and therefore will change latex labeling to make a simple statement of there is no way to regulate this allergen? I read about this and was thoroughly confused. Is this the first step to not being able to measure a peanut or dairy protein as well? Please read this link from the ALAA webpage concerning the FDA’s review of Twitter
Sue was a wealth of Latex knowledge and it was flat out fascinating learn more about Latex allergies from the ALAA website! If you have latex allergies or know someone with managing this allergen, you might want to check out the ALAA website; I found it to be very clear, easy to manage and a wealth of knowledge. You can also follow ALAA on Facebook or Facebook.
One of the hardest things I find about managing both life threatening food allergies and asthma is talking to others. I hate to be the one that might be perceived as demanding, pushing or for asking too much. What I now know, fourteen years later, is that honest, clear information presented with kindness works!..
I remember reading that, too, about them saying there’s supposedly “no way to know” if there’s latex in something and thought that was ridiculous! We were planning our FARE walk and discussed possibly not having latex balloons, due to latex allergies. My daughter doesn’t have a latex allergy, as far as I know, but she does seem to have problems with avocados and bananas, which are foods that I’ve read are related to latex allergies. She seems to handle balloons without any trouble, though. Either way, it made me more aware of the latex allergy issue, and I have been paying more attention wherever I go, about what items might contain latex.
Thank you for this great post, since I had no idea about some of the other considerations one must make with a latex allergy. I certainly hope they do not abandon the “latex free” labeling standards!
Truly, thanks to Sue for enlightening all of us! Mylar balloons are the way to go! I’ve now switched my thinking too. Of course, after I spoke to Sue, I ran out to my garage to check my dad’s box of gloves and thankfully they were not latex. Also, professional kitchen staff often wear gloves when they are mixing large batches of foods, such as salad, when it is easier to just dig in with your hands! My way of thinking has changed.
During one of my tests I discovered that I had a latex allergy. Probably from all the surgeries, lab visits, etc. I immediately alerted my medical care providers and it is on my medic alert bracelet. I have never experienced life threatening reactions but due to my sensitivity I am sure it would have happened if I had not found out and continued to expose myself to it.
The more I am learning about latex allergies the scarier it seems. I read a story over the weekend from someone who had a reaction to the latex ring that was on a medication bottle?! Glad to hear Kathryn that you figured this out before an anaphylatic reaction occured.
Certain food allergies are a red flag for possible latex allergies as mentioned by Selena – this link lists the common ones: http://www.latexallergyresources.org/cross-reactive-food
Thanks for the link Bronwyn! Everyone, Bronwyn is one very sharp nurse and the medical community deals with latex allergies more than anyone else!
It’s really quite amazing, the full range of allergies. Just recently was talking to a gymnast who is allergic th the powder/chalk they use to grip the uneven bars with. There are also physical therapists allergic to this same chalk-unable to work with gymnasts. While I think that we should do what we can for all, I am always surprised that one of the most common, animal allergies, gets no real attention. Most don’t understand that it is the protein in the animals saliva and the hair oils/dander (not the hair itself) that cause the reaction. Imagine boarding an airplane and seeing little cages of animals going on… While the little animals are often cute and of great comfort to the owner, the allergy sufferer is forced to decide should they fly or not since they will have to inhale the allergen in the recycled air cabin. In schools, imagine the allergic child who gets skin reactions and breathing difficulties from the hugs and touches of other pet-owner kids or from placing their arms on the desk, or saddly has to change schools because guinea pigs, rats, mice, dogs are most valued in the school/classroom. School Allergy Education should include animal allergens-they effect so many.
Love reading about how people cope on a daily basis with allergies. I have had my latex allergy for 11 years, after having been a critical care nurse since 1986. It’s a daily battle that can make you feel like no one understands. I started a facebook page for latex allergy sufferers to share information, ask questions, and not feel alone. Please check it out! It is called: Latex Free Living: A Place for Latex Allergy Suffers to Share and Learn. Thank you for making others aware through your website and giving good tips!
GREAT links!
Thanks for sharing.
I truly did not recognize how difficult a latex allergy was until I spoke to Sue and learned about her wonderful organization. When dealing with food allergies, you simply know food is the item of concern, but with latex, it is life in general! Parties, containers, food handlers….and the list goes on!
please forward any other tips you have! I am thinking of hosting a latex allergy page.
Fortunately, few medical providers in the US use latex or powdered gloves. The alternatives are comparable in pricing -which wasn’t the case when Sue received her diagnosis. Be alert to latex in the tape used after a lab test, with an IV, or to secure a bandage. Request an alternative. Most health care facilities have ‘latex-free’ packages for all departments. Your health insurance will cover the cost -just make sure that your care providers are aware of your known or suspected allergy AND it is documented in your chart.
I stopped using Latex gloves in my practice in 1990. Tronex makes a good vinyl glove that resists oil (i use aromatherapy oils). I have a slight Latex allery, the bandaids are definitely a problem, and hospital procedures.
I never knew Stephanie about your latex allergy, do you if the gloves at church are latex? They wear them when they mix the salad sometimes.
I am just blown away by how much I am learning and how little I knew. Thanks for sharing!
Wow, tape too?
I know people with all kinds of allergies, including latex. It is amazing what you can learn just by talking to them, and most are very eager to share so that you feel informed, especially if you want to help. I also know of a woman who works in the medical profession who is anaphylactic to certain smells – yes, ANAPHYLACTIC to SCENTS. There is a sign posted outside the floor she works on, and you are told over the phone if you have to see her, the list of things you can and cannot wear scent-wise. I think it is great that the place she worked valued her enough to give her a safe environment, don’t you? I wish more places were like that.
I think of all the allergies and conditions that we hear of but brush off more often than not and wonder what the world would be like if, instead of being passive, we were compassionate. Imagine that. A world where caring and helping were first on our lists instead of our annoyance at our inconvenience. I think it would be an amazing place, don’t you? I keep this image in mind when I hear about people struggling with food allergies or disabilities, etc. It helps remind me that we can have that world, or something close to it, but we have to work for it – one person at a time.
That being said, Caroline, and all the rest of you allergy/disability advocates out there who work so hard to spread the word, thank you! You may not hear it very often, but you DO make a difference, if not to everyone, to some – and THAT is worth it all. 🙂
Julie, thanks for the kind words, but I think the more all of us keep the conversations going the better! Although, I have to admit, I was sad the other day when I realized that some of society has become one of convenience. If it is not convenient, then folks do not want to do it. I’m inspired for those in our world Julie are willing to work for the good things in life! Thanks for being our community.
I agree, and I’m so glad to be a part of it! It is amazing to be able to see awareness start to make a difference, even if it is just in one life. That’s how things start – one person at a time.
Julie, you do great things on your site and share here. I’m so grateful for your positive outlook! I really, really do enjoy our little community here.
Thanks, Caroline! It’s a real pleasure to be a part of it, for sure! 🙂
We have gone ahead and added a backlink back to your website from one
of my clients requesting it. We have used your site URL: http://www.gratefulfoodie.com/travel-latex-allergies/ and blog
title: All Aboard with Latex Allergies | Gratefulfoodie.comGratefulfoodie.com to be sure you
get the correct anchor text. If you woud like to check out where
your link has been placed, please contact me at: tami_hatch@gmail.com.
Many thanks
Now, very concerned that there is a new law, that all “all” food handlers, restaurants and etc, that is food related, are to wear gloves always or fined. Yet, not banning the latex from food handling or preparing… afraid to eat, being I am latex anaphylactic. It has been difficult enough to find places latex free. There needs to be a law seeing that nothing is handled with latex from the farms to factories to the consumers, this should include pharmaceutical companies/ factories as well. How do we do this?
The only one benefiting from the law to wear gloves are the glove manufactories. Not the people.
Wow, didn’t realise that was a law! In the UK, our current food handling laws state that if proper hygiene is followed then gloves don’t usually need to be worn; the exception, of course, is if someone has a disease or cut.
I’m only recently diagnosed and still navigating the world of Type 1 allergies haha so when I was on tour with my choir at the beginning of August we stopped to eat and I had ordered my food at a burger place when it suddenly occurred to me they might use latex gloves! I asked the teen behind the till what type of gloves they use, and he said ‘oh latex ones I think..I’ll just go check’ and my brain went into red-alert mode, thinking how I would have to say I’m sorry but I can’t eat here. Thankfully, the manager said they conform to current health and safety standards (as above) and that they do not use latex gloves anyway, but use nitrile gloves instead. Phew!
Wonderful blog! Do yoou hasve any helpful hints for aspiring writers?
I’m planning to start my own site soon but I’ma little lost on everything.
Would you propoose starting with a free platform like WordPress orr go for a paid option? There are so
manmy choices out there that I’m totally oberwhelmed .. Any
suggestions? Thanks a lot!
I have a Type 1 Latex allergy and it isn’t as simple as ‘don’t wear gloves’ or ‘don’t blow up balloons’. I did actually have a doctor tell me I should be thankful and they won’t test for it because it’s easy to avoid! I know a word for that, and it begins with ‘sh’ and rhymes with ‘fit’..
Latex is in so many things. Seriously, people think it’s so trivial and easy to avoid but it really isn’t. For instance, I play ice hockey (2 years now; gosh) and have skated since literally before I could walk, and the ice rink is like home to me. Shortly after my diagnosis, I went to the rink and sat on the rubber bench for a couple of minutes, and touched the rubber matting on the floor for less than 5 seconds to take a picture. 30 minutes later I was literally covered with hives — it just looked like one big hive until I took 2 Benadryl Relief tablets — and my hands were swelling up. I was at college and decided to go home. By the time I was home, some of the hive had broken up to show many separate hives, but my feet were painful and swollen, and my hands were so swollen and painful that they were going grey. I felt tightness in my throat and chest and was wheezing. I had a headache and felt sick. From the matting at the ice rink! Two reactions later, I was sat on the bench and just from a few minutes on the bench I got burning and hives all over my legs and all down my arms.
It’s also in balloons and as my allergy is T1, I only have to be around balloons to have flushing, itching, wheezing, and a headache. It’s in lots of shoe adhesives, so a brand-new pair of Adidas trainers I had bought — the red Adidas Supercolor limited edition trainers — were rendered unwearable after I got hives on my feet. Also, most cheap shoes use latex glues and none state whether they do; an upside to this is I must be the only person in my class whose parents insist on buying expensive Nike or Timberland shoes! Some foams and adhesives use latex. Latex bands are used in physio clinics. Latex and latex products are commonplace at swimming pools. The pucks at hockey are latex and while this hasn’t caused me problems it is still just another point where I could get sensitised more. Rubber stamps. Envelopes. Elastics. Belts sometimes. Other people wearing latex skirts (strange, you wouldn’t walk around in a peanut hat, would you?) or latex jackets can be a real issue and make my hands swell up. Roadworks cause an excess of airborne latex protein so every time I see them with all that dust I make sure my inhaler and Benadryl and phone are to hand. There is a trend, especially amongst them nature types, which touts the wonders of latex in pillows and mattresses — apparently it’s especially good for people with bad backs and necks because of its memory-foam-like properties or whatever — so when someone tried to sell me one the other day I completely freaked my sh**. Buttons on remotes, while usually made from silicone, are sometimes rubber so that’s something else to check. Magnums and Soleros are cold-packaged and as such use latex glue; this is confirmed by Walls. Elastics. Bungs in science labs and on medicine vials. Sheaths on needles for vaccinations (getting flu vac every year requires me to read hard), medications, and other things.
Just. So. Much. Evil. Stuff.
And even just on the latex gloves side of life, it isn’t as simple as ‘don’t wear them then’. Powdered gloves have powders which act as vectors for the latex proteins allowing them to become airborne with the powder. When this is inhaled, the latex protein is inhaled with it causing it to elicit a response from one’s immune system. So people using or even having used latex gloves in a space I’m in can cause a reaction. Non-powdered ones can still touch me, or touch something which I touch — hence why I carry wet wipes with me everywhere — and the protein can still transfer to food handled with those gloves and then into my mouth.
It can impede on your life somewhat. Like how I can’t sit on the benches I always sat on at the rink. I can’t just eat somewhere. I couldn’t use the tourniquet last time I got bloods done outside the hospital because they couldn’t verify that it was latex-free (one nurse had to draw my blood while another nurse gripped my arm). My choice of mattress at IKEA the other day was reduced by the realisation that some of the mattresses had a latex layer (probably explains the headaches I get at IKEA — who the hell puts LATEX in a mattress?!). I have had to inform the labs at college (16-18), and have to ask at every uni open day I go to because I want to do biomedical sciences (although my top-choice university only managed to cement themselves at the top of my list by declaring that their labs and science department class latex as a hazardous substance and won’t allow it in or near the labs, ever). I recently got my inheritance through from my late aunt which enabled me to get much-needed brand-new ice hockey kit, which I couldn’t bring home with me and still haven’t got because they decided they’d rather not sell it to me until they’d had full clearance from Bauer that each item is latex-free. That last one really sucked..although it’s looking up now and should be here in a week. I won’t be back on ice for a few weeks anyhow, so it should be fine.
I also have severe asthma and was hospitalised a couple of weeks back with a life-threatening asthma attack. I was in A&E then Resus..then finally on a ward. I was in hospital for 6 nights, and was exceedingly glad to see that no latex gloves were used by nurses or doctors, and there were no latex gloves in the rooms. However, the cleaning staff, as I discovered, use latex gloves. Thankfully, they were non-powdered up on the ward but I think the ones they use in the ED are powdered; not long ago, I was in the ED with a hockey injury and just sat in one of the waiting areas I flushed all over, became itchy, nearly fainted, and became wheezy and tight; all symptoms I get from inhaling airborne latex proteins. I felt really bad on the ward but for my own safety I requested that the nurse ask the cleaning staff not to use the red latex gloves in my room. Honestly, I felt like I was making a fuss over nothing..but I remember a mild reaction (some hives and lots of itching) from leaning on a table at Little Chef where they used traditional latex gloves to clean up, and I couldn’t risk that in my condition.
In short, latex is everywhere. I’m not trying to diminish food allergies but as my severely peanut-allergic friend said, you can check the labels for peanuts or peanut products, but most things don’t list latex on them.
Just to round off, perhaps one of the strangest places latex has snuck in is in pharmaceutical giant Pfizer’s product packaging line. The workers use latex gloves to package pills. Yeah. So although the risk isn’t as high to me as it is to a couple of people I’ve met online, it is still there. No Pfizer for me. I haven’t had the situation yet where I’ve had to go get my meds from a different pharmacy but I’m sure it’ll happen someday.
Thank you for doing a piece on latex allergies and becoming more latex aware! 😀