Allergies Health Center

Latex Allergies

What Latex Products Should I Avoid Outside the Home?

The following list highlights some (but not all) of the latex products you should avoid outside the home:

• Grocery store checkout belts
• Restaurants where workers use latex gloves for food preparation (call ahead to ensure your safety)
• Balloons
• Auto races that emit tire and rubber particles
• ATM machine buttons (often made of rubber)

Other products containing latex include:

• Tourniquets
• Blood pressure pads
• EKG pads
• Some adhesive bandages
• Dental devices

Latex Alternatives

There are many alternatives that can be used in place of latex. These include:

What Should I Do During Doctor Visits if I Have a Latex Allergy?

If you have a known latex allergy and must visit the doctor or dentist, inform the doctor of your latex allergy at least 24 hours before your scheduled appointment. The hospital or doctor's office should have a latex-free protocol that they follow for patients with latex allergies.

If you have to stay in the hospital, you will usually be given your own room, free of latex products.

Do I Have to Change My Diet if I Have a Latex Allergy?

Latex allergies may also cross over into food groups. Or if you are already allergic to certain foods, you may be at high risk for developing a latex allergy.

The following foods can trigger a latex-like allergic reaction because the proteins in them mimic latex proteins as they break down in the body:

Note: Not all people who have these food allergies will also have latex allergies.