By Martha A. Simpson, D.O., M.B.A.
Associate Professor of Family Medicine
Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine

MEDICAL ASSISTANT PROBABLY HAS ALLERGY, NEEDS TO AVOID LATEX

Question: I recently started work as a medical assistant. Every time I put on gloves I get a runny nose, I sneeze and my eyes water. I have mild hay-fever, and these are the same symptoms I get every year in the late summer. Someone suggested that I might be allergic to the latex gloves, and I should switch to vinyl gloves. I don’t get a rash on my hands, so how can sneezing be an allergy to gloves?

Answer: The symptoms that you are having when you wear gloves are actually fairly classic for a latex allergy. Latex comes from the sap of the rubber plant. A protein in the rubber (latex) is quite an allergenic for some people. Latex is also used in many products like balloons, rubber toys, adhesive tape and rubber bands. When people develop sneezing after using latex gloves, it can be due to the latex protein attaching to the corn starch powder in the gloves and then becoming airborne.

Your symptoms of runny nose, sneezing, and watery eyes are among the most common symptoms of a latex allergy. Many people also get a contact rash on their hands. This can happen immediately or be delayed several hours.

In severe cases, an anaphylactic reaction can occur. This type of reaction is on the extreme end of the allergic spectrum. The whole body is affected, with symptoms developing within minutes to several hours of exposure. Once symptoms begin, they spread rapidly and include shortness of breath, hives all over the body, chest tightness, itching, sweating, swelling, cramping and vomiting. Some victims lose consciousness, and about 150 people in the United States die each year from anaphylaxis. If you develop these symptoms of a severe reaction, seek immediate medical attention.

As a health care worker, you are likely to come into contact with many products containing latex. This repeated exposure puts you at greater risk of becoming allergic to latex. And, the fact you have hay fever puts you at even greater risk. This is because about 25 percent of health care workers who have hay fever will develop a latex allergy, as you apparently have. Besides health care workers, people with food allergies and people who have had many surgeries are at increased risk for developing latex allergies.

Some people use antihistamines to help decrease their reactivity, but there is no treatment for a latex allergy except avoidance. Therefore, I recommend you avoid latex products as much as possible during your work day and reduce your exposure to the many household products that contain latex around your home. The more contact you have with latex, the greater the chance that your allergy will eventually progress to a severe anaphylactic reaction.

In some circumstances vinyl gloves can be substituted for latex gloves, but they do not form as good a barrier against viruses as does latex. There are other substitute gloves that do offer the same protection as latex, but they tend to be more expensive. Also, some people find they get relief if they use non-powdered latex gloves. Ask a knowledgeable person at your office what would be the best type of glove for you.

Finally, wear a medical alert bracelet. This will make it possible for your fellow health care workers to give appropriate first aid if you ever have a severe reaction to latex.

Family Medicine® is a weekly column. To submit questions, write to Martha A. Simpson, D.O., M.B.A., Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine, P.O. Box 110, Athens, Ohio 45701, or via e-mail to readerquestions@familymedicinenews.org. Medical information in this column is provided as an educational service only. It does not replace the judgment of your personal physician, who should be relied on to diagnose and recommend treatment for any medical conditions. Past columns are available online at www.familymedicinenews.org.