|
Overcoming Latex Allergy
by Anna Salanti
INTRODUCTION
Allergies are a form of chronic ailment that affects hundreds of millions of people worldwide. In the United States alone, there are over 50 million people who suffer from some type of allergy.
Naturally, we all wish to avoid illness or suffering and urgently seek a cure when even minor troubles appear. But when a chronic illness like an allergy strikes, it takes an additional toll because the cure is so illusive and the symptoms are so persistent. In addition to the physical pain and discomfort of chronic illness, or the potential for life threatening symptoms to develop, there are further emotional and social effects to be considered. Because of this, it is important to address the full impact of allergies beyond just the management of the physical symptoms.
The development of latex allergy presents many complications beyond the scope of typical allergies: it often develops through occupational exposure, latex contains a diversity of potential allergens, there are multiple routes of potential exposure, there is a wide range of potential allergic reactions, and, according to traditional medicine, once a latex allergy develops there is no “cure.” Only avoidance of latex can prevent the occurrence of an allergic reaction. But latex can prove very difficult to avoid because of the abundant use of latex products.
MY STORY
Latex allergy and I have been close acquaintances since 1991. But at the time, I had no idea what I was becoming so well acquainted with. I was eventually diagnosed with latex allergy Type 1 and Type 4. Having been a critical care RN for twenty plus years, I used a multitude of latex gloves during my 20+ years in the nursing field. Initially, my symptoms were those of the delayed sensitivity reactions. Eventually I began having Type 1 anaphylactic reactions. My first anaphylaxis was with an IV tubing and catheter. Interestingly enough, at the time I was working as a medical case manager and had not worn latex gloves for approximately four years.
While trying to obtain a diagnosis and treatment protocol, I was evaluated by one of the best Chicago allergists at the time, spent a week at Mayo Clinic, and a month in Denver at the Allergy and Immunology Research Clinic. I tried everything conventional medicine had to offer. Nothing seemed to help. In fact, discouragingly so, my medical condition was worsening.
I was sent home with approximately 14 various medications and instructed to avoid all latex. Included in these mediations were several antihistamines. My operating premise was that if I was continuing to sensitize myself, I would want to be aware of that. I did not want to mask the symptoms. Despite coming from a very traditional allopathic background, I came to the conclusion that the treatment protocol I was following was not helping. In fact, it seemed to be making my medical condition worse. I made the conscious choice of seeking alternative medical options.
In 1994, I began my research in alternative therapies and I have tried many. Some of them worked, others helped temporarily, and others not at all. Slowly, my health began to improve. The last time I used an epipen was December 1996. I am able to eat all cross-reactive foods without any problems. I can come in contact with latex, such as balloons, without any reactions. My “numbers” for reactivity to latex, accelerators (thiuram, carbamates, and mercaptobenzothiazol) and cross-reactive foods have reached 100 with the Vega or Voll testing methods. (Zero to 100 is the scale to measure reactivity with 100 being nonreactive.) At one time, my numbers were in the 20’s to 40’s for cross-reactive foods, latex, and accelerators. During this time, I was very reactive to all of them.
How have I achieved this level of health? I used trial and error, openness to try something new that may or may not work, determination, and perseverance. Primarily, I have strengthened my immune system with immune modulators and used amino acids and cofactors of the citric acid cycle (Krebs’s cycle) to breakdown and eliminate toxins.
Recently, I was unknowingly exposed to latex in a homeopathic delivery system dropper that was reported to be composed of synthetic latex and not natural rubber latex. I used this remedy for three months sublingually 3-4 times per day before I became symptomatic. A call to the company with a request for further investigation of their manufacturing process did indeed reveal that the dropper was made out of natural rubber latex. My symptoms included sinus congestion and a runny nose. My Vega reading for latex has dropped to 75, with accelerators in the 85-95 range. I know that with immune modulators, detoxification, and avoidance of latex I can achieve the non reactive state I have previously enjoyed.
Will latex always be an acquaintance of mine? I believe so, but it will not be the adversary it once was.
This article has been reprinted with permission from Anna M. Salanti
<-- Back to Research Papers
|
