Why should I test for a latex allergy?
Latex is also known as natural rubber and is processed into the rubber we find in around 40,000 different everyday items. You will find it in products as diverse as trainers, condoms, diving goggles and chewing gum. So, if you are allergic to latex, you will encounter many possible allergens in your everyday life.
A latex allergy can be responsible for red and itchy skin, swollen lips, sniffles and shortness of breath. Such symptoms also occur with other allergies. That’s why it can be useful to do allergy tests to find out the source of your symptoms. If you know what is causing your symptoms, you can then avoid the culprits in everyday life.
How does the Latex Allergy Test work?
With the Latex Allergy Test, you take a few drops of blood yourself with a lancet and collect the blood on a dried blood spot card. You then send the sample to a specialist laboratory free of charge using a return envelope. The laboratory analyses your blood to see how high the number of IgE antibodies for latex is.
What does the Latex Allergy Test tell me?
The results report will tell you whether you are sensitised to latex and, if so, how severe this sensitivity is. If you are sensitised to latex, your immune system reacts defensively when it encounters the latex allergens. An allergy is present if this sensitisation leads to allergic reactions – however, this is not always the case.
Which recommendations will I receive after the Latex Allergy Test?
If you have a latex allergy, you should avoid latex products as much as possible. Substitute products are available – for example, protective gloves, which are not made of latex but of vinyl. Other rubber alternatives are silicone, neoprene and nitrile.
Also be aware of possible cross-allergies. Some people with latex allergies react to foods closely related to natural rubber. These include avocado, tomato, banana, potato and hazelnut and walnut.
What is latex?
Latex is a milky liquid obtained from the rubber tree. The latex is industrially processed into rubber.
Rubber is not only used to make car tyres, condoms, balloons and diving suits. Rubber is also frequently used in the medical sector, for example in protective gloves, catheters and respiratory masks. Latex is also found in sweets, especially chewing gum.
What happens when you have a latex allergy?
An allergy is when your immune system reacts defensively upon contact with harmless substances such as latex. Substances that trigger allergies in this way are also called allergens. Researchers do not yet know how exactly such an allergy develops.
If you have a latex allergy, your body reacts to certain proteins that are found in rubber. You may experience symptoms when your skin comes into contact with latex or when you inhale or eat latex. Typical symptoms include itchy, red skin after wearing protective rubber gloves.
What are symptoms of a latex allergy?
The symptoms you experience with a latex allergy depend on how the latex gets into your body. Usually, sufferers may experience uncomfortable reactions on their skin, in the mouth or in the respiratory tract.
Typical symptoms of a latex allergy include:
- itchy and red skin
- blistering and swelling of the lips
- allergic rhinitis, cough and shortness of breath
- itchy eyes
How do I treat a latex allergy?
There are medicines such as antihistamines that can relieve latex allergy symptoms. But currently, the only long-term solution is to avoid rubber products. This may mean that you have to resort to substitute products. In medical environments, for example, there are usually protective gloves made of vinyl, because latex allergies have proved common in the past.
It is also worth looking out for possible cross-allergies. People with latex allergies often react to different kinds of fruits and vegetables. Common reactions are to avocado, banana and kiwi.
For whom is the Latex Allergy Test not suitable?
The Latex Allergy Test is not suitable for or is only suitable to a limited extent for certain groups of people:
- People with infectious diseases, such as hepatitis and HIV, are not allowed to take the Latex Allergy Test.
- People with haemophilia should not take the blood test.
- Pregnant and breastfeeding women should only take the Latex Allergy Test under medical supervision. The reference values and recommendations do not apply to them either, so they should receive recommendations on the test result from a doctor.
- The Latex Allergy Test is not suitable for children under 18 years of age.
The test is not intended for diagnosing disease. For example, if you suffer from severe skin lesions, seek medical advice.
