Latex Allergy

Latex, also known as rubber or natural latex, is derived from the milky sap of the rubber tree, found in Africa and Southeast Asia. Latex allergy is an allergic reaction to substances in natural latex. Rubber gloves are the main source of allergic reactions, although latex is also used in other products such as condoms and some medical devices.

The exact cause of latex allergies is unknown, but it is thought that repeated exposure to latex and rubber products may induce symptoms. About 5% to 10% of health care workers have some form of allergy to latex.

Other than health care workers, people at increased risk for developing latex allergies include those who have:

• A defect in their bone marrow cells.
• A deformed bladder or urinary tract
• A history of multiple surgeries
• A urinary catheter, which has a rubber tip
• Allergy, asthma, or eczema
• Food allergies to bananas, avocados, kiwis, or chestnuts
• Rubber industry workers and condom users are also at increased risk for developing a latex allergy.

Routes of latex exposure include:

• Through the skin, as occurs when latex gloves are worn.
• Through mucous membranes, such as the eyes, mouth, vagina, and rectum.
• Through inhalation. Rubber gloves contain a powder that can be inhaled.
• Through the blood, as may occur when some medical devices containing rubber are used.

There are three types of latex reactions:

1. Irritant contact dermatitis. The least threatening type of latex reaction, classified as a non-allergenic skin reaction. It usually occurs as a result of repeated exposure to chemicals in latex gloves and results in dryness, itching, burning, scaling, and lesions of the skin.
2. Allergic contact dermatitis. A delayed reaction to additives used in latex processing, which results in the same type of reactions as irritant contact dermatitis (dryness, itching, burning, scaling, and lesions of the skin). The reaction, though, is more severe, spreads to more parts of the body, and lasts longer.
3. Immediate allergic reaction (latex hypersensitivity). The most serious reaction to latex. It can show up as rhinitis with hay fever-like symptoms, conjunctivitis (pink eye), cramps, hives, and severe itching. It is rare, but symptoms may progress to include rapid heartbeat, tremors, chest pain, difficulty breathing, low blood pressure, anaphylactic shock, or potentially, death

Allergic reactions to latex can range from skin redness and itching to more serious symptoms, such as hives or gastrointestinal problems. True allergic reactions to latex rarely progress to the life-threatening conditions such as low blood pressure, difficulty breathing or rapid heart rate. However, if left untreated, these conditions could potentially result in death.

If you experience severe symptoms, call your doctor or 911 immediately, or go to the nearest emergency room.

Food Allergies Linked to Pesticides

People exposed to higher levels of certain germ- and weed-killing chemicals may also be more likely to develop food allergies, a new study shows.

The chemicals are called dichlorophenols (DCPs). They are created by the breakdown of common pesticides, including chlorinated chemicals used to purify drinking water. They also turn up in moth balls, air fresheners, deodorizer cakes in urinals, and certain herbicides sprayed on crops. “They’re quite common,” says researcher Elina Jerschow, MD, an allergist at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx, N.Y.

Doctors don’t know why, but rates of food allergies are rising in the U.S. A 2008 study by the CDC found an 18% jump from 1997 to 2007. Jerschow wondered if increased protection from germs might somehow be lowering the body’s tolerance to foods.

Using data collected by the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), she compared levels of the chemicals in urine to antibodies to foods in the blood. She admits that’s an imperfect way to measure food allergies, since people can be sensitive to certain foods without having any problems when they eat. Of the 2,211 people included in the study, most had detectable levels of DCPs in their urine. About 400 showed sensitivity to at least one food, like peanuts, eggs, or milk. More than 1,000 people were sensitive to an environmental allergen, like ragweed or pet dander.

People with the highest levels of of the chemicals were nearly twice as likely to show sensitivity to at least one food compared to those with lowest levels of those chemicals. That remained true even after researchers adjusted their data to account for other factors, like race, age, and a diagnosis of allergies or asthma.

“For some reason, in our study, we found people who were sensitized to foods had the highest levels of dichlorophenols,” Jerschow says.

More Research Needed

The study doesn’t prove that DCPs cause food allergies. It merely shows the two are related in some way.

Still, the study lends some support to an idea called the hygiene hypothesis. The hygiene hypothesis suggests that the cleaner our environment, the sicker we become, since our immune system has been robbed of the opportunity to meet and fight off invaders. Experts who were not involved in the research say the idea that pesticides may be a driver of food allergies is an interesting idea, but they aren’t yet convinced of the connection.

“The massive increase in food allergies is a relatively recent phenomenon, but we have been using chlorine to disinfect tap water since the mid-19th century. So it does not seem likely that the source of the problem is chlorinated tap water,” says Elizabeth Scott, PhD, co-director of the Center for Hygiene and Health in Home and Community at Simmons College in Boston.

But since drinking water isn’t the only source, it may be that we’ve reached a kind of environmental tipping point with these chemicals.

Food Allergies: Protect Your Child

Most food allergy reactions start soon - within minutes to a couple of hours - after exposure to a trigger food.
Symptoms can include:

• Stomach or intestinal problems, such as vomiting, colic, diarrhea, or bleeding
• Skin reactions, such as hives, swelling, or eczema
• Breathing problems, such as upper respiratory congestion, throat swelling, or wheezing
• Preparing Meals and Snacks

Your child's food allergies will change your family's eating habits.

Finding safe options that children are willing to eat can be a challenge. Families have to learn how to prepare safe meals and snacks from whole foods and also how to find allergen-free convenience items.


You'll need to master the art of reading product labels. The FDA requires that the eight major dietary allergens (milk, eggs, wheat, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, and shellfish) be noted on product and ingredient labels. But other minor ingredients may not appear on packaging. If you have questions about something your child might eat, you should call the maker before you serve it to them. There's always a risk of hidden ingredients. Labeling is not always complete, nor clear.

Preparing meals and snacks at home gives you more control what's in your child’s food. There are many cookbooks and web sites that have allergy-friendly recipes.

For special events like birthday parties, let the host know about your child's allergies, and make sure your child knows what's off limits.

Dining Out

Let your server know that your child has a food allergy. Don't just ask if a menu item includes your child's allergy trigger. Ask to speak to the manager or chef who will be preparing the food, so you can find out about the ingredients used and the methods of preparation.

Ask that your food be prepared using clean hands and clean cooking surfaces, utensils, and equipment. You don't want the hamburger for your child with milk allergies to be prepared on the same grill as another customer's cheeseburger.

Think about where you eat, too. For instance, if your child has a peanut allergy, you might want to avoid restaurants that cook with peanuts or peanut sauces, and if you're allergic to shellfish, you might want to avoid seafood restaurants.

Always have emergency medications on hand. If you think your child is having an anaphylactic reaction, call 911 immediately and use your epinephrine auto-injector.  Even after that injection, your child will still need to go to the hospital.

Ugly Plants Worse for Allergy Patients

Ragweed, mugwort, plantain and pigweed have more than just their unappealing appearance in common -- they're some of the worst offenders to allergy sufferers.
Ragweed can produce up to 1 billion pollen grains per plant throughout a pollen season, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. Of those allergic to pollen-producing plants, 75 percent are allergic to ragweed.

The relationship between allergy-causing pollens and their flowers is something like a beauty pageant. A general rule of thumb is that flowers that smell or look pretty attract insect pollenators, so they are not generally important allergens, because their pollen is not airborne. However, those that are very ugly or plain are meant to disperse pollen in the wind, which is the route most important for allergy.

Allergy season divided into spring, summer and fall  runs from March to October and doesn't end until the first hard frost.
Early spring is typically tree season, with common tree allergens including oak, maple, walnut, pecan and hickory. Valet notes that many people are concerned about fragrant and flowering trees like the Bradford pear and Crabapple, but they are not typically allergens as they rely on insects instead of the wind to carry their pollen.
In late spring and early summer, grasses start to pick up their pollen production. Of special note to allergy sufferers are Northern grasses including Timothy-grass, ryegrass and Kentucky bluegrass, and Southern grasses including Bermuda grass and Johnson grass.
In late summer and fall, the weeds make their presence known. Common weed allergens include ragweed, lamb's quarter, pigweed, English plantain and mugwort.
This year the pollen count is proving to be high in Nashville.
 Doctor recommends that people with pollen allergies first try over-the-counter allergy medications before talking with their doctor about prescription medications and nose sprays.
For people with known pollen allergies, everyday solutions can include taking an antihistamine before doing yard work and showering once back inside, and choosing the air conditioner over an open window when cooling their home.

What about allergies to pets?

The "dander," or skin shedding, of an animal is more potent in causing allergic reactions than the animal's fur or hair. In addition to the skin sheddings and fur, allergic reactions can occur to the saliva and/or urine of cats, dogs, horses, and rodents.

The scope of the animal allergy problem is enormous. These allergies are believed to affect up to 20% of North Americans and are directly related to the increasing popularity of pets, particularly cats and dogs. Studies have shown that dog allergens were found in all examined homes in the U.S., even those without family dogs. Likewise, almost all homes were shown to contain cat allergens.

Cats

The most well-known indoor allergy is probably due to Felis domesticus, the domesticated cat. The main allergen is a protein that is produced by the sweat glands (sebaceous glands) in the skin and appears in the skin flakes or dander that are shed from cats. The allergen is also found to a lesser degree in the fur, saliva, and urine of cats. Even with a past history of tolerance to cats, it is possible for a person with an allergic tendency to develop a sensitivity to cats after constant exposure.

The cat dander allergen is not only confined to the cat but also clings stubbornly to carpets, walls, and furniture. The protein can linger there for months and can serve as a reservoir from which allergens can become airborne when disturbed. The allergen is also lightweight and can float in the air for hours. People can also carry the cat allergen around on clothes, thereby spreading it to work, school, or a friend's house. Accordingly, for those who are allergic to cats, it does not reduce the risk of allergic reaction to simply isolate the cat in another room of the house. The cat dander is present wherever the cat generally exists, and it is this dander that is the problem.

Allergy facts

An estimated 30% of households in North America have at least one cat.

About 6% of the population is allergic to cats.

Dogs

Domesticated dogs (Canis familiaris) are found in over 40% of homes in North America. About 33% of allergic individuals are sensitive to dog dander (as compared with almost 50% of allergic individuals who are cat-allergic). Since the allergic reaction is prompted by skin shedding and not fur, it makes little difference whether the dog has long or short hair; you can be as allergic to a Chihuahua as you can to a sheepdog. Small dogs can also cause as many allergy symptoms as large dogs. There is certainly no evidence that one species is less allergy-provoking than another one. Clearly, no breed is non-allergenic. Even poodles and wheaten terriers (often thought to be hypoallergenic) will likely induce allergy symptoms in sensitive individuals upon continuous exposure.

If your child has asthma and a known allergy, be especially careful not to allow the child to spend the night at the home of a friend or relative with a pet. Severe allergic reactions and even fatalities have been reported. Do not let this happen to your family or your friends.

Horses

Only 10% of allergic individuals have a sensitivity to horses. The reason is probably due to less exposure since there is little horsehair in furniture or bedding anymore. Sensitive people, however, must avoid not only horses and stables, but also objects directly related to them, such as bridles, saddles, and riding clothes. Also be aware that horsehair may still be found in antique furniture and old toys. People who have problems with horses may also react to donkeys, mules, and zebras.

Allergy alert

Remember that a trip to the barn not only exposes you to animal dander, but also to mold, pollen, and lots of other irritants as well. If you suffer from asthma, be careful and be prepared.

Birds

Allergy to birds is more common among bird breeders where the exposure is highest. People who are sensitive to the feathers of chickens, geese, turkeys, and ducks can still eat the meat or eggs from these animals. They may well react, however, to the feathers in down comforters, pillows, and duvets. You should also remember that dust mites, another common allergen, hide in these bedding accessories.

Rodents

This family includes hamsters, rabbits, guinea pigs, gerbils, ferrets, mice, and rats. Most allergic reactions are caused by exposures in laboratories, but these animals are also common pets. Mouse urine is an especially potent allergen for personnel that handle laboratory animals. The urine of rats and guinea pigs also contains allergens as do the saliva and fur of rabbits. Rabbit hair can be found in fur coats, glove linings, slippers, foot muffs, pillows, and quilts. The fur of the Angora rabbit is said to be 10 times warmer than that of sheep wool. The soft yarn spun from Angora rabbit fur can be found in hand-knitted trimming, crochet work, gloves, hosiery, and knee pads. Alone or mixed with silk, it is also used in sportswear. And, of course, rabbits often appear in schools as the classroom pet.

Allergy alert

Frequently, parents will report that their child has "won the privilege" of caring for the classroom pet over the weekend or the holiday vacation. This often leads to the onset of a particular animal sensitivity. If you or your child already has allergies or asthma, do not volunteer for the job.

Once-A-Day Pill Offers Relief from Ragweed Allergy Symptoms

An international team of researchers, led by physician-scientists at Johns Hopkins, reports that a once-daily tablet containing a high dose of a key ragweed pollen protein effectively blocks the runny noses, sneezes, nasal congestion and itchy eyes experienced by ragweed allergy sufferers.

Tests showed that treatment with the pill, which contains the protein Ambrosia artemisiifolia major allergen 1, and is placed under the tongue to be absorbed, also reduced the need for anti-allergy drugs to get relief. More than 80 million Americans are allergic to ragweed.

Researchers say that if the pill wins approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, it could serve as a more convenient, less painful option than weekly or monthly allergy shots. The pill also presents fewer potential side effects than allergen injections. Some 784 men and women from the United States, Canada, Hungary, Russia and the Ukraine volunteered to take part in the year-long study, in which participants were randomly assigned to take either a high-, medium-, or low-dose tablet, or placebo. Neither researchers nor study participants were aware of which dose of the pill or placebo they were taking. Patients kept track of their symptoms and medication use through detailed and daily diaries, which were later scored by researchers for analysis.

Physicians treating ragweed allergy sufferers may soon have an alternative to the current approach to managing ragweed allergy, which usually involves weekly or monthly visits to the doctor's office for allergy shots and carries the risk of swelling and pain at the injection site, plus risk of anaphylactic shock

Parents may protect their children against developing allergy

Allergies are very common in industrialized countries. It has been suggested that exposure to harmless bacteria during infancy may be protective against the development of allergy. However, it has been difficult to pinpoint which bacteria a baby should be exposed to, and at what time and by which route this exposure should ideally occur.

Swedish researchers at the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, now report that a simple habit may give significant protection against allergy development, namely, the parental sucking on the baby's pacifier. 
In a group of 184 children, who were followed from birth, the researchers registered how many infants used a pacifier in the first 6 months of life and how the parents cleaned the pacifier. Most parents rinsed the pacifier in tap water before giving it to the baby, e.g., after it had fallen on the floor. However, some parents also boiled the pacifier to clean it. Yet other parents had the habit of putting the baby's pacifier into their mouth and cleaning it by sucking, before returning it to the baby.
It was found that children whose parents habitually sucked the pacifier were three times less likely to suffer from eczema at 1.5 years of age, as compared with the children of parents who did not do this. When controlled for other factors that could affect the risk of developing allergy, such as allergy in the parents and delivery by Caesarean section, the beneficial effect of parental sucking on the pacifier remained.
Pacifier use per se had no effect on allergy development in the child. Boiling the pacifier also did not affect allergy development in a statistically proven fashion.No more upper respiratory infections were seen in the children whose parents sucked on their dummies, as compared with the other children, as evidenced by diaries kept by the parents in which they noted significant events, such as infections.
Saliva is a very rich source of bacteria and viruses, and the researchers believe that oral commensal microbes are transferred from parent to infant when they suck on the same pacifier. When the composition of the bacterial flora in the mouth was compared between infants whose parents sucked on their pacifiers and those whose parent did not, it was found to differ, supporting this hypothesis.
According to "the hygiene hypothesis," the development of allergy can be attributed in part to a paucity of microbial stimulation during early infancy.

Dustless Chalk May Cause Allergy

Many of today's schools and school teachers opt for dustless chalk to keep hands and classrooms clean. 

Casein, a milk protein, is often used in low-powder chalk. When milk allergic children inhale chalk particles containing casein, life-threatening asthma attacks and other respiratory issues can occur.

Milk allergy affects an estimated 300,000 children in the United States, according to the ACAAI. Although it has been believed the majority of children will outgrow milk allergy by age three, recent studies contradict this theory, showing school aged children are still affected. However, 80 percent of children with milk allergy will likely outgrow it by age 16.

If your child is sneezing and wheezing at school, you should see a board-certified allergist for proper testing, diagnosis and treatment.

Have Asthma?

Asthma is becoming an epidemic in the United States. The number of Americans diagnosed with asthma grows annually, with 26 million currently affected.

Astonishing that 75 percent of asthmatic adults aged 20- to 40-years-old, and 65 percent of asthmatic adults aged 55 years and older, have at least one allergy.

Allergists have known the prevalence of allergies among asthmatic children is high at 60 to 80 percent, but it was thought allergies were not as common in asthmatic adults. 

A total of 2,573 adults were studied in a National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). A panel of 19 allergens was used to detect allergy among asthmatics.

While asthma is frequently associated with children, it is not uncommon among adults 60 years and older, affecting three to seven percent. This number is likely higher, however, because asthma is often underdiagnosed in older adults.

Too Much Vitamin D During Pregnancy Can Cause Food Allergies.

Pregnant women should avoid taking vitamin D supplements, new research suggests. Substitution appears to raise the risk of children developing a food allergy after birth. This was the conclusion drawn from a new survey carried out by the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research and the Martin Luther University in Halle-Wittenberg in Germany.

Vitamin D has always had a good reputation: it strengthens bones, protects against infections particularly during the cold winter months and aids the nervous and muscular systems. Especially in the prevention and treatment of rickets, it has been given to babies and infants around the world for around 50 years. However, recent scientific investigations are increasingly questioning the positive aspect of the "bone vitamin." At the end of the 1990's, for the first time people's attention was drawn to a link between high vitamin D levels and the development of allergies.

To investigate the question, Dr. Kristin Weiße's team from Leipzig used samples from the LiNA cohort that the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) had established together with the St. Georg municipal clinic between 2006 and 2008 headed by Dr. Irina Lehmann. In total, it was possible to include 622 mothers and their 629 children in the long-term study "Lifestyle and environmental factors and their impact on the newborn allergy risk." The level of vitamin D was tested in the blood of the pregnant mothers and also in the cord blood of the children born. In addition to this, questionnaires were used to assess the occurrence of food allergies during the first two years of the children's lives.

The result was clear: in cases where expectant mothers were found to have a low vitamin D level in the blood, the occurrence of food allergies among their two-year old children was rarer than in cases where expectant mothers had a high vitamin D blood level. In reverse, this means that a high vitamin D level in pregnant women is associated with a higher risk of their children to develop a food allergy during infancy. Furthermore, those children were found to have a high level of the specific immunoglobulin E to food allergens such as egg white, milk protein, wheat flour, peanuts or soya beans. The UFZ scientists also got evidence fot the mechanism that could link vitamin D and food allergies. Dr. Gunda Herberth -- also from the Department of Environmental Immunology at the UFZ -- took a closer look at the immune response of the affected children and analysed regulatory T-cells in cord blood in particular. The cells are capable of preventing the immune system from overreacting to allergens, with the result that they protect against allergies. The UFZ researchers know from earlier analyses that the allergy risk increases in cases where too few regulatory T-cells are present in cord blood. The interesting result of the current research project: the higher the level of vitamin D found in the blood of mothers and children, the fewer regulatory T-cells could be detected. The correlation could mean that vitamin D suppresses the development of regulatory T-cells and thus increases the risk of allergy.