LATEX ALLERGY IN HELTH CARE WORKERS

In the last few years it has been observed that some people are more sensitive to latex than others.

This type of allergy causes the same reactions that others, that is, there is a genetic cause allied to an environmental factor.

This kind of person develops an antibody named IgE (Immunoglobulin E), which, when first exposed to the latex, fixes itself in one of the organism cells. All this process occurs in the skin or in the blood stream.

The user's daily exposure to latex products with a high protein content, due to the accumulation, ,may cause allergic reactions from rash skin to respiratory symptoms.
The intensity of the reaction depends on the person's sensitivity degree and on the quantity of the allergen latex protein to which the person ix exposed.

The negligence to the most common symptoms of the latex allergy might become an irreversible occupational disease in a short time, making it impossible, in many cases, for the person go back to the same job. The ongoing and habitual usage of gloves with high protein content, for self-protection and also to protect the patients, has made this kind of allergy a common one.

On surging new diseases and also new safety and hygienic norms in the medical field, the health care workers started to wear latex gloves more frequently. This also happened in other working fields as esthetics, restaurants, households, etc. This also caused the gloves industry increase, many times with no quality or toxicity control, though.

Besides that, the protein levels that may be bearable are not respected . In studies carried on by Rubber Institute of Malaysia and University of Tempere, Helsink, one of the most important Research Centers on allergic reactions, for a level below 100pg/gram of glove material, 90% of the users who are sensitive to latex , haven't presented any allergic reactions.