Allergies

[WLSC2008]

Everyone,
I was just wondering if any of you have allergies to various things that might affect your job. I am allergic to smoke, cats, dogs, dust, grass etc. But my worst allergies are the cats and smoke.
I am concerned about going into the homes of pts. that may have some of these present.

Any advice, tips, stories please share.

Thanks!

 

[Ridryder911]

How bad is your allergies or reactions? This is definitely something to be concerned about. Since, your responses will be to many residents and incidences involving those allergens.. Most elderly will have animals, structure fires and as well you will be working in the field.. literally.

Remember, one can take some antihistamines, but some have s/e of drowsiness, etc. that prohibits one to be able to take on duty.

If your allergies are to severe, you may have to consider an inside type position.

Good luck!
R/r 911

 

[WLSC2008]

How bad is your allergies or reactions? This is definitely something to be concerned about. Since, your responses will be to many residents and incidences involving those allergens.. Most elderly will have animals, structure fires and as well you will be working in the field.. literally.

Remember, one can take some antihistamines, but some have s/e of drowsiness, etc. that prohibits one to be able to take on duty.

If your allergies are to severe, you may have to consider an inside type position.

Good luck!
R/r 911

It really depends on the situation. Like with dogs I have to actually pet them or be around them for an extended period of time. With cats if I stay for an extended period of time I usually get watery eyes and start sneezing.
I take an albuteral inhaler when I need it and singular at night time for my asthma but I have heard people tell me that they take an allergy pill in the morning and they are fine all day. I know I can take my inhaler and should probably carry that with me on calls but as you all know can only take that so often.

I am not sure if this info changes your answer or not. This is something that I have thought about recently.

 

[rgnoon]

I'd venture to say that you should generally be okay if your symptoms are minor and only triggered after an extended exposure (the cats and dogs). As for your seasonal allergies (i.e. the grass), there are certainly plenty of drugs out there for you to try.... "Ask your doctor if ______ (fill in the blank) is right for you!" Rid is right, you definitely want to watch out for those side effects. Drowsiness might not sound as flashy as facial edema or priapism, but in our field especially, it can cause great danger.

At certain times of the year when tree pollen, grasses and ragweed are at their peak, I'd never be able to get anything done without my daily 5mg of C21H25ClN2O3. Of course ultimately it is your responsibility to act if you feel that your allergies could put you, your partners or your pt in a dangerous position.

 

[medicdan]

I'm curious--- do any posters have an allergy to latex? How true is the myth that heath care providers are becoming allergic at a high rate?

 

[bstone]

I'd venture to say that you should generally be okay if your symptoms are minor and only triggered after an extended exposure (the cats and dogs). As for your seasonal allergies (i.e. the grass), there are certainly plenty of drugs out there for you to try.... "Ask your doctor if ______ (fill in the blank) is right for you!" Rid is right, you definitely want to watch out for those side effects. Drowsiness might not sound as flashy as facial edema or priapism, but in our field especially, it can cause great danger.

At certain times of the year when tree pollen, grasses and ragweed are at their peak, I'd never be able to get anything done without my daily 5mg of C21H25ClN2O3. Of course ultimately it is your responsibility to act if you feel that your allergies could put you, your partners or your pt in a dangerous position.

AKA Zyrtec.

 

[Doctor B]

I'm curious--- do any posters have an allergy to latex? How true is the myth that heath care providers are becoming allergic at a high rate?

Having been in EMS for 19 years now I have developed a hypersensitivity to latex proteins. It usually manifests itself after wearing the latex gloves. It hasn't proven to be a detriment to my ability to work though. Immediate and thorough hand washing after the fact usually minimizes the associated complications.
As for the myth that healthcare providers are becomming allergic at a high rate? I would venture to say that due to the high rate of exposure to latex products in our field that the likihood of us becomming more susceptible to developing an allergy to the products is higher than a member of the public. However it's the same with any other form of synthesized product. Your body will only tolerate exposures to them for so long. Technologically assisted patients encounter the same problems over a period of time as well. These problems seemed to be much more prevalant in the 90's and early on in the 2000's but with the change in technology and manufacturing of newer medical products I believe that it won't be as prevalant as it was in the past. Of course due dilligence is certainly preferable. If you're concerned about the possibility of exposure, utilize non-latex based products as an alternative. Nitrile gloves for example is the next generation of PPE on the market,provide the same (if not better dexterity than latex) and are less permeable than latex is as well.

 

[BossyCow]

Having been in EMS for 19 years now I have developed a hypersensitivity to latex proteins. It usually manifests itself after wearing the latex gloves. It hasn't proven to be a detriment to my ability to work though. Immediate and thorough hand washing after the fact usually minimizes the associated complications.

First off, latex sensitivity can be cummulative, so if you have a current sensitivity, you should avoid using latex gloves even with the handwashing. I worked in hospital purchasing during the beginning of the AIDS epidemic. There was a gloves shortage due to the increased demand for PPE. The manufacturers of latex gloves had to step up production to keep up with the demand. During that time, modifications were made to the processing of latex increasing chance of workers developing a sensitivity. At that time, latex gloves also were lined with talc. Talc has since been found to be extremely abrasive. The abrasive nature of the talc created openings in the skin that allowed the protein in the latex to enter the skin. Many of us developed latex sensitivity during that time.

I actually have some scarring on one of my hands as a result of my last latex exposure. The most extreme reaction to latex in my personal experience was a surgery patient who had listed 'latex sensitivity' in her chart. She was treated during the early days of our awareness of this issue. The 'latex free' cart was used during her surgery. She coded on the table. It was found out later that there was a single gasket over which her IV solution passed that was made of latex. This was enough to put her into full code. Luckily she survived the incident.

I know of many healthcare workers that have developed a sensitivity to latex but its becoming less of an issue because of the other, less risky products that are replacing it.