Latex allergies are rooted in previous exposures to latex. During an initial encounter with latex, the body’s immune system overreacts to a perceived threat and begins to produce antibodies. 

Each antibody is designed to recognize a particular antigen. The antibody is attached to a mast cell, which contains granules of histamines and other chemicals. The next time the body is exposed to the allergen, the antibody binds to it and the mast cell releases histamines and other chemicals that cause the symptoms of an allergic reaction.

Repeated exposure to an allergen increases the risk of developing an allergy. Therefore, healthcare workers and people who spend long periods in healthcare settings have a greater likelihood of developing latex allergies. People with other occupations that involve frequent glove use (e.g., hairdressers, housekeepers) and individuals who work in industries that manufacture latex products are also at risk.

In addition, repeated exposures to an allergen can result in greater numbers of antibodies, which can cause more frequent and severe reactions to the allergen. In recent years, latex has been increasingly used to produce certain products, especially medical gloves and tools. As more individuals have been exposed to latex, the incidence of allergies has soared.

More than 40,000 products use some form of latex. Common latex products include:

• Rubber bands
• Balloons
• Condoms
• Latex gloves used in healthcare, food service and other settings
• Motorcycle and bicycle handgrips
• Automobile and bicycle tires
• Carpeting
• Swim goggles
• Bath mats and floor rugs with rubber backing
• Sink stoppers
• Elastic waistbands in undergarments, bathing suits and other clothing
• Bathing caps
• Bowling balls
• Dishwashing gloves (reusable)
• Rubber or rubber-grip utensils
• Toothbrushes with rubber grips or handles
• Sports mouthpieces
• Racquet handles

Additional latex products include:

• Helmets
• Rubber toys, including some dolls
• Hot water bottles
• Nipples on baby bottles and pacifiers
• Some disposable diapers, sanitary pads and adult incontinence products
• Some adhesive bandages
• Waterproof bed pads that contain rubber
• Pencil erasers
• Grocery store checkout belts
• ATM buttons made of rubber
• Computer mouse cords and pads
• Keyboards, calculators and remote controls with rubber buttons and switches
• Adhesives such as glue, paste and art supplies
• Ventilation tubes
• Diaphragms

Medical and dental facilities use many latex products. Latex gloves are especially effective in protecting healthcare workers from contracting infectious diseases such as AIDS and hepatitis B. Between 5 percent and 10 percent of healthcare workers are estimated to have a sensitivity to latex, according to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. Healthcare and dental products that contain latex or rubber include:

• Blood pressure cuffs
• Stethoscopes
• Intravenous tubing
• Syringes
• Respirators
• Electrode pads
• Surgical masks
• Oral and nasal airways
• Tourniquets
• Injection ports
• Catheters
• Dental dams
• Endotracheal tubes
• Enema tips

For reasons not yet clearly understood, some health conditions can make a person more susceptible to developing latex allergies. Conditions which increase an individual’s risk for latex allergies include:

• Defect in bone marrow cells
  
  
• Deformed bladder or urinary tract
  
  
• Use of urinary catheter with a rubber tip
  
  
• Allergies, asthma or eczema
  
  
• Food allergies, many of which spring from contact with allergens that are also contained in latex (a condition known as cross-reactivity). The foods most likely to trigger cross-reactivity include bananas, avocados, kiwis and chestnuts. Other potential cross reactive allergens include:
  
  

  Almonds Apples Blackberries  Brazil Nuts Carrots Cashews Celery Cherries Crab Dates Dill  Figs Ginger Hazelnuts Lobster Mango Melons Oregano Papaya

  Passion fruit Peaches Peanuts Pears Pecans Pineapples Pistachios Plums Potatoes Sage Shrimp Snails Squash Strawberries Sunflower seeds Tomatoes Walnuts Water chestnuts