People wear gloves when doing labor works in order to protect their hands, of which latex gloves are one of the most commonly used gloves. This article will introduce the precautions to be taken in the daily use and prevention to allergy of latex gloves.

1. Avoid contact with chemicals such as acid, alkali, organic solvents;

2. Choose the powder-free and low-protein gloves when handling infectious materials in order to reduce the risk of allergies;

3. Do not use oil-based hand creams or lotions when wearing latex gloves, as they will cause damage to the gloves;

4. Wash your hands with mild soap and dry them completely after taking off latex gloves;

5. Disposable latex gloves should not be worn repeatedly(because they may have lost the property of defend against harmful substances).

 There are three different conditions that people may experience when wearing latex gloves and the followings are their prevention and treatments.

Affective touch dermatitis: this condition is mostly common and usually manifests itself as red, itchy, dry and cracked skin in the hands. It is caused by washing hands excessively with soap or detergent while not drying the thoroughly, resulting in the gloves impermeable.

Prevention and treatments: Be sure to rinse off the detergent and dry your hands before wearing gloves; and if it were dry gloves, then there should not be too much talcum powder inside the gloves. Once the symptoms of affective dermatitis appear, do not scratch and apply antipruritics.

Allergic touch dermatitis: it is characterized by itchy, dry and cracked skin on the hands and often with red spots 6-48 hours after contact with latex gloves. This is a delayed allergy caused by certain chemical components of the gloves or attached to the gloves.

Prevention and treatments: change another type of gloves or stop use gloves to prevent severe allergic reactions. In case of allergic touch dermatitis, antihistamines taken orally and Compound Dex applied to hands are required.

Latex allergic reaction: It is extremely rare. Usually within a few minutes to ten minutes of putting on the gloves that patients’ skin would be red and itchy quickly, often accompanied by reed rash, rhinitis, conjunctivitis, chest intrusion, palpitations, etc.. Severe cases even can present breathing difficulties, tachycardia, blood pressure drop, and even anaphylaxis, sudden death, etc.

Prevention and Treatments: Take off the gloves quickly, flush your hands repeatedly with smelling saline, and go to the hospital immediately. Anyone who has an allergic reaction to latex should be prevented from touching latex gloves and other latex products again.

Latex gloves are an effective and widely used form of hand protection in healthcare, industrial, and labor-intensive environments. However, their safe use requires careful attention to chemical exposure, proper hand hygiene, and awareness of potential allergic reactions.

Employers and users should:

Provide powder-free, low-protein latex gloves where possible.

Educate workers on proper glove use and hand care.

Ensure access to alternatives (nitrile or vinyl gloves) for those with latex sensitivities.

By following these guidelines, latex gloves can provide reliable protection while minimizing the risk of skin irritation and allergic reactions, ensuring both safety and comfort for workers.