About skin damage caused by the use of natural rubber products

Skin damage caused by the use of natural rubber products can be latex allergy!
Let's talk to an allergy specialist.

Latex allergy is caused by skin disorders such as redness, itching, and hives when contact between the skin and the latex protein in natural rubber, but a major feature is that it rarely causes anaphylactic shock (such as lower blood pressure and impaired consciousness). It can be caused. Anaphylaxis shock, in the worst case, can lead to death, which is extremely dangerous.
If you have experienced skin damage when using natural rubber products, you may have latex allergies, so refrain from contacting natural rubber products and consult a medical institution specializing in allergies to yourself. Check if you are allergic to latex.
Patients with latex allergy may also develop latex fruit syndrome by eating fruits such as chestnuts and bananas, so be careful when ingesting fruits.

１．About latex Allergy
Latex allergy means that latex protein contained in natural rubber becomes allergens, causing allergic symptoms such as redness, itching, and hives, and rarely anaphylactic shock such as dyspnea, reduced blood pressure and impaired consciousness. It is characterized by causing.
Patients with latex allergy may develop latex fruit syndrome due to fruit intake, especially chestnuts, bananas, avocado and kiwifruits are at high risk of developing symptoms and become severe.
Rubber products such as rubber gloves, rubber balloons, condoms, and medical tubes (catheters) may use natural rubber depending on the product.
According to the Japan Latex Allergy Study Group (see the PDF file below), latex allergy has a very high frequency of contact between skin and mucous membranes and latex proteins, such as wearing rubber gloves made of natural rubber at all times, and chronic skin roughness has reduced barrier properties (function to prevent foreign substances from entering)3, there is a risk of developing the disease. In particular, those who are engaged in medical care, manufacturing, cleaning, nursing care, etc. and frequently wear rubber gloves made of natural rubber, those who have undergone medical treatment such as surgery many times, Atopic dermatitis, etc. If you have chronically rough skin due to dermatitis, you need to be careful because the risk of developing the disease is high.

２．Examples of latex allergy
The Japan Latex Allergy Study Group reports on cases of latex allergies every year at the academic conference.
[Example 1] Cases of latex allergy with natural rubber gloves
A part-time worker in his thirties wore rubber gloves made of natural rubber while working at a fast food restaurant, and a hives appeared throughout the body and were transported to a medical institution. As a result of the examination, I was diagnosed with latex allergy. Doctors instructed me to use gloves (vinyl gloves) that do not contain natural rubber during work. (Report Year: 2014, women in their 30s)
[Example 2] Cases in which a child with a history of surgery developed latex allergy in a rubber balloon
When a 5-year-old child played in a rubber balloon, the lips and eyelids began to swollen symptoms, so he went to a medical institution. An interview suspected latex allergy because the child had undergone two brain surgery in the past. When I examined it, I was diagnosed with latex allergy. (Report Year: 2005, 5-year-old male)

３．To Consumers
If you experience skin damage to your hands or lips when using natural rubber gloves or rubber balloons, you may be allergic to latex. If you have such experience, avoid contact with natural rubber products and consult with an allergic medical institution to confirm. Being aware of yourself having an allergic constitution is one of the precautionary measures against skin disorders and anaphylactic shock.
If you use a natural rubber product to develop symptoms of skin disorders suspected to be latex allergy, you need to consult a medical institution immediately, as diagnosis and treatment at a medical institution is required. For medical institutions specializing in allergies, you can search for specialists from the website of the Japan Allergy Society.
Specialist search page of the Japan Allergy Society website
http://www.jsaweb.jp/modules/ninteilist_general/ (external site)

If you are diagnosed with latex allergies, follow your doctor's instructions and pay attention to the following points to prevent recurrence.
Also talk with your doctor about the need to carry adrenaline self-injection drug.

<Notes for Preventing Recurrence>
(1)Avoid contact with natural rubber products. When using rubber products, make sure that the product contains natural rubber. If there is no component label, check with your dealer or business operator.
(2)Tell your doctor or nurse in advance that you are allergic to latex when you visit a medical institution or have surgery.
(3)Understand that fruit intake may cause latex fruit syndrome and refrain from taking it. Certain fruits such as chestnuts, bananas, avocados and kiwifruits are known to be at high risk and severe, so special care must be taken.

Also, for children, if you repeat the symptoms of swelling of your body, such as lips and eyelids, with natural rubber toys, you may have latex allergies, so avoid contact with natural rubber products, Let's consult a medical institution.

• Skin damage caused by the use of natural rubber products can be latex allergy! (Consumer Affairs Agency) (PDF: 197KB)