Watch Out For These Products If You Suspect You Have A Latex Allergy

While many people think of food allergies or allergies to insect stings when they think of common allergies, the reality is that you may suffer from an allergy to other substances. Many people are allergic to latex, which means that they must be careful to avoid products that contain this substance. The big concern is that many products contain latex, which means that you may inadvertently come into contact with this allergen and suffer from a reaction. While it's always a good idea to visit a health practitioner who can test you to confirm that you're indeed allergic to latex, here are some products that you should strive to avoid in the meantime.

Latex Gloves

You might not come into contact with latex gloves on a daily basis, which is ideal. However, there may be the risk of this latex-containing product touching your skin when you visit various medical practitioners. For example, doctors, dentists, and other health practitioners will often cover their hands in latex gloves before touching your body. Make sure to let the medical practitioner know about your suspected allergy at the start of the appointment. He or she will then likely use vinyl gloves, which many practitioners keep handy in the event of dealing with patients who have allergies to latex.

Balloons

The balloons that adorn the room during a birthday party might be innocuous to most attendees, but they're trouble if you have an allergy to latex. Many balloons contain latex, which could leave you dealing with the difficult symptoms of your allergy simply as a result of coming in contact with these decorations. For any parties in your home, make sure that balloons aren't used — and ensure that your guests don't show up with any, either. If you're planning to attend a party, you may wish to call ahead to see if it would be possible for balloons to be avoided.

Condoms

While practicing safe sex with the use of a condom is important, the latex used in the production of this device will be trouble if you're engaged in a sexual encounter in which a condom is used. Don't skip the use of a condom because of your suspected allergy — unsafe sex can lead to issues far more severe than allergic reactions. Instead, seek out condoms that do not contain latex. You'll often be able to find such products at health stores, for example.

If you suspect you have any allergy, you should make an appointment at a clinic like Southern Allergy and Asthma PC.