Why the Increase in Latex Allergies?
Latex has been useful in the medical industry for many years, protecting doctors from infectious diseases when touching a patient’s blood, urine, feces, or other organism that may pass-on an infection. Increased exposure to latex has perpetuated latex allergies to in those individuals predisposed of latex allergies. In today’s ultra-conscience world of diseases, more and more health care professionals are using latex gloves for simple procedures that never required gloves in the past, such as checking the pus in a patient’s hand. With the increased use of latex gloves comes the increase of airborne latex particles being inhaled. Studies show that the cornstarch used to coat the latex for easier use in putting gloves and condoms on and off absorbs the proteins and shed them into the air. There are an increased number of people reporting a breakout of hives on their skin due to coming in contact with latex.
