People are Allergic to Condoms and other Unusual Allergy Triggers

 

The hour before my teen would arrive from school was winding down. The importance of a clean and cozy home is necessary to unwind.

Also, to recharge from the allergens that may have occurred during school time.

I loaded the dishwasher, cleaned surfaces, disinfected doorknobs and light switches, swept, mop, did the laundry, dusted sitting areas, and whatnot before realizing it was almost time he would arrive.

Any minute my teenager would step through the door.

I began the procedure to purifying the air which included lighting a Sweet Sage Pure candle to remove the leftover toxins.

I retrieved the vacuum from the living room’s closet.

Vacuuming was the last task.

While vacuuming, I noticed a feeling in between the thumb and pointer finger, I assumed the feeling derived from aggressively vacuuming due to rushing to complete the last chore.

I was totally wrong.

After I stopped vacuuming, I examined my hand and discovered a reddish-purplish bruise.

Did the vacuum cleaner burn my skin?

I was utterly confused.

Never have I experienced an allergic reaction to a vacuum cleaner. How is that even possible?

This sparked a thorough research to allergic reactions from vacuum cleaners. Apparently, tiny dust particles were known to float in the air and land on the vacuum cleaning while in usage.

Wow! What are the odds of that occurrence?

My curiosity influenced an extensive research on unusual circumstances that led to an allergic reaction.

I discovered a world of unusual allergic triggers through the internet and social media and thought to share the top five.

THE TOP 5 UNUSUAL ALLERGIC TRIGGERS

1. Condoms

Did you know an increasing number of men have reported allergens to condoms? Condoms have been known to trigger allergic reactions in women and men alike due to its protein, latex.

Over a period of time, latex or a natural rubber product may cause an allergic reaction. One of the sources of latex is the rubber tree.

Roughly twelve million tons of natural rubber latex is produced yearly and only a limited amount is approved by the FDA. Some companies even disregard listing natural rubber on their products, making it hard to keep away from the latex allergen.

While the latex allergen is significantly low in the general population, those who use it often, such as healthcare workers, are highly likely to report an allergen to their gloves.

After the foreign substance enters the host, an allergic reaction including watery eyes, runny nose, itchy skin, dermatitis, hives, and even anaphylaxis — a life-threatening reaction of the throat may occur.

Experiencing an allergic reaction in the middle of a woo-hoo must be horrifying! Luckily, latex-free condoms are on the market to save the day and love.

2. WATER

Imagine being allergic to something in conjunction with sixty percent of the body.

Water.

The term for this medical condition is Aquagenic Urticaria — an allergic reaction to the exposure of water.

The first case of Aquagenic Urticaria was reported in 1964. Since then, fifty cases of aquagenic urticaria have been documented in medical reports.

A water test was conducted on a man who claimed to have had allergic reactions from water the last ten years of his life. The man entered a shower with the water mode set to thirty-five degrees Celsius. Within ten to twenty minutes, he developed a rash-like substance that created itchiness of the skin. The rashes would last on the skin for up forty minutes without the intervention of a medical prescription. This led to treatment and medical notes.

Though aquagenic urticaria is rare, the great thing is that this allergen can only be triggered by skin contact and not digesting.

3. MOBILE PHONES

Ninety-seven percent of Americans own a mobile phone. That’s almost the entire population. Seventeen percent women and three percent men have reported experiencing skin rashes and breakouts when using or touching a cellular device.

One of the causes has been linked to the sensitivity of nickel, cobalt, and palladium with nickel being the leading cause. The metals are known to cause red and itchy skin after contact. This condition is also prevalent in the usage of jewelry.

Another potential cause of experiencing an allergic reaction is due to the dirt that sits on uncleaned cellphones for several weeks. Many people are unaware of the dirt the device may collect. Pet dander and dust thrives on uncleaned phones.

I once had a twenty-five-year-old cousin who would clean her cellphone several times a day. I never understood the reason and always assumed she was just a very clean person. EVERYTHING she encountered she cleaned. I knew this was not a form of OCD because her personality did not fit the script. Never have I expected her to have an actual reason for cleaning a cellphone several times a day.

Mobile phones are so dirty that studies revealed E.coli and streptococcus pathogens on mobile phone’s surfaces. Though these pathogens will not cause an immediate reaction, it is best to prevent the germs from entering the body.

One way to decrease viruses and bacteria is not taking it in the bathroom.

4. SWEAT

How bizarre would it be to exercise or enjoy a wonderful outdoor activity only to suffer from an allergic reaction due to sweating?

Quite bizarre, that’s for sure.

Unfortunately, it happens.

This condition is known as cholinergic urticaria, or heat bumps.

Sweating is the body’s way of cooling down after an intense workout, fever, sex, anxiety, anger, hot baths, and engaging in outdoor activities during hot days. The skin glands release a salty liquid to prevent the body from overheating.

Those who experience cholinergic urticaria tends to develop skin lesions that rises immediately after sweating. The lesions are usually itchy, burning, tingling, and may swell. They last for ten minutes to an hour without treatment.

Skin lesions from overheating usually occurs on the upper arms, chest face, and upper back.

Treatment includes:

Antihistamines

Steroids

Histamine 2 receptor blockers such as Zantac or Tagamet.

Leukotriene inhibitors (Singulair),

Immunosuppressives (cyclosporine, dapsone)

Danazol

Beta-blockers (propranolol)

Topical scopolamine

Omalizumab (Xolair)

5. MONEY

Okay now we’ve arrived to the grand finale of the top five unusual allergens.

How wild is experiencing an allergic reaction to the very thing that is needed to survive in the current economy?

Money is needed to purchase groceries, pay rent to live in a good home, transportation, taxes, investments in children’s education, personal hobbies, therapy for stress, communication channels, and much more.

As stated recently in this article, the allergen from nickel is common and coins may have the potential to cause a reaction.

Reports on experiencing contact dermatitis from handling paper money is documented in medical researches. The cause is believed to be due to the printing ink, but the process of printing money remains hidden to prevent fraud. It is known that printing ink contains plant gums such as carob, guar, tragacanth, carrageenan, xanthan, and karaya. These plant gums are known to cause allergic reactions.

There is also another form of experiencing allergens to money.

Some people may believe that money is evil due to a rumor that derived from the actual statement, money is the root of all evil. Consequently, these same people are allergic to obtaining money to maintain a home, transportation, and build wealth due the supposed evilness behind collecting a great amount of income.