Latex Glove Allergy: A Recent Concern
Posted April 1, 1998
Over the last five years, allergy to latex has become a major occupational health problem in the U.S. Since the mid-1980s, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration
(OSHA) has required those at risk for acquiring HIV or hepatitis B to wear latex gloves for their own protection. This requirement extends to health care providers, police, emergency
service personnel, and fire fighters. Food handlers who wear gloves continuously also are at risk for this allergy.
What causes an allergy to latex gloves? Latex gloves are made from natural rubber. The rubber itself does not cause the allergy, however. Once latex is collected,
it is centrifuged to remove water and non-rubber solids, such as proteins, found on the latex. The more the latex is rinsed during the manufacturing process, the less latex is produced.
If the latex isn't rinsed often enough, proteins are left on the latex, and on the gloves made from this latex. These proteins are the cause of latex allergy.
The protein found on the gloves acts as an antigen when it gets past the body's natural barriers. Usually the protein enters by small cuts on the skin of the hands,
hangnails or anything else that disrupts the skin barrier. Once inside the body, a typical specific immune response occurs. The protein is cleared from the body and a B memory cell clone
is produced. When the person is exposed again to a significant amount of protein (which varies from individual to individual), an allergic response can occur. This can include generalized
itching; itching, watery or burning eyes; or sneezing or coughing; More serious reactions such as swelling, bronchial asthma with difficulty breathing, hives or anaphylactic shock, can
lead to death of the individual.
Doctors recommend that individuals who show any of the signs of latex allergy contact an allergist who has experience with latex allergies. Various organizations
and support groups have been created for people whose severe allergies cause them to live a life free of latex.
References
Delaware Valley Latex Allergy Support Network, Inc. "How Does the Immune System Respond?" Delaware Valley Latex Allergy Support Network, Inc. http://www.latex.org/system.html.
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