You're making a fruit salad, you've added the apples, the kiwi, and you're slicing the bananas, when suddenly your hands begin to itch. Within minutes, your hands become red and swollen and you begin to sneeze and cough. All signs point to an allergic food reaction.
But you might, in fact, be allergic to latex. Latex is a milky fluid produced by rubber trees. Using different methods, latex can be processed into a variety of products, such as gloves and balloons.
As many as 6 percent of Americans have a sensitivity to latex. But up to 15 percent of those who wear latex gloves for their work – such as healthcare workers – or who are regularly exposed to it are allergic to latex. The greater the exposure to it, the greater the chance of becoming allergic to it.
But a Food Connection?
People who are allergic to latex products might also experience allergic reactions due to cross-reactivity from a variety of fresh fruits, vegetables, and nuts. Cross reactivity occurs when your immune system mistakes a similar protein or chemical composition in a food for the proteins found in latex, according to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology .
- These foods commonly trigger allergic symptoms in latex-sensitive people: banana, avocado, chestnuts, hazel nuts, kiwi, melons, tomatoes, carrots, celery, papaya, and potatoes.
Latex-sensitive people are at greater risk of developing severe food reactions, known as anaphylaxis, which is a true 9-1-1 medical emergency. The first signs of anaphylaxis might be a feeling of warmth, flushing, tingling in the mouth, or a red, itchy rash. Other symptoms might include lightheadedness, shortness of breath, severe sneezing, anxiety, stomach or uterine cramps, and/or vomiting and diarrhea.
An allergist or immunologist can test you for allergic sensitivity and your potential for cross-reactivity. |
