Many more cases probably go unreported. Latex allergy reactions occur more frequently in high-risk professions due to increased exposure to latex products. In the health care profession, up to 12 percent of staff may be affected. Latex has been used for many years. From 1991 to 1996, the number of latex gloves imported in the United States increased by 247 percent.
Anaphylactic shock is rare.
The risk of anaphylactic shock seems to be greatest in people who have had previous allergic reactions to products that contain latex or prior unexplained anaphylaxis. Health care workers with a history of worsening latex allergy symptoms should be especially cautious. Those at risk include people whose job or medical status puts them in frequent direct contact with latex. Health care workers and dental workers are those most often exposed to latex, principally by using latex gloves that are powdered to make them easier to put on. The powder binds with the latex proteins and becomes airborne.