plansrme Posted May 27, 2008 Share Posted May 27, 2008 I believe, though this never been confirmed by a competent medical professional, that my 8 yo daughter has a mild latex allergy. This weekend, I bought her a new set of swim goggles to replace the brand new set she just lost. They were labeled "latex-free" and were identical in everything but color to the lost pair, which she has worn for the last 2 weeks without incident. She wore them for a half-hour or so this weekend, took them off, and about an hour later, started exhibiting classic signs of an allergic reaction--puffy, itchy, watery eyes. Benadryl stopped it, so it was pretty clearly an allergic reaction to something. All I can think of was that it was a reaction to the goggles. My question is whether "everyone knows" (by that, I mean "all informed parents of kids allergic to latex") that latex-free goggles actually include some latex? Or is there a known allergen in the dye they use to make them green? The lost goggles were clear, the new ones green. They are Speedo goggles, not cheapies from the Dollar Store. Any insight is appreciated. Terri Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChristyB in TN Posted May 27, 2008 Share Posted May 27, 2008 Why don't you email Speedo and find out. That is a pretty serious issue as far as I am concerned and I would imagine they will help you. Nike.com is a good site and they may even respond to an email with some suggestions as well. Were the goggles you bought silicone? You may already know more about this than I do, but I have a friend who is allergic to latex and he is a dentist! He is VERY allergic. He told us at dinner one night that he has to avoid bananas or papaya or mangoes or some fruit like that, I can't remember. Could your dd have come in contact with something like that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plansrme Posted May 27, 2008 Author Share Posted May 27, 2008 Really? I never thought of that. I'll keep my nose open. They were packaged individually, and she has never been so sensitive to latex that a little cross-contamination would make a difference. Of course a latex allergy is cumulative, in that repeated exposure produces more pronounced reactions (which is why so many doctors and dentists and kids who require multiple surgeries early in their lives develop the allergy), so it's possible that it's just getting worse. I have not e-mailed Speedo, as I figure their response will just be that "latex-free means latex-free, of course we couldn't have made a mistake." This experience was a good opportunity to stress, again, why we don't let her blow up balloons. Our assurances that she can still live a full and productive live without this experience don't really seem to help assuage her disappointment, but explaining that "what happened to your eyes could happen to your lungs" did seem to sink in. If anyone else has any ideas, I would still love to hear them. Terri Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Book Crazy Posted May 27, 2008 Share Posted May 27, 2008 I'm allergic to latex and let me tell you that it can be a real pain. Latex can have quite a strong smell sometimes, but other times it is hard to know if something contians latex. Try finding rubber gloves, the kind for cleaning the house, that don't have latex. It used to be next to impossible to find them, but now you can buy them, you just have to look hard. I have also found out that I can't eat let alone touch figs. The white sap that produce it related to latex and can cause a reaction. Here is a very intersesting site about latex allergy. Latex allergy is not an allergy that many people have heard of. Just try and be careful of what you touch and eat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unicorn. Posted May 27, 2008 Share Posted May 27, 2008 We use speedo goggles, but I believe ours are silicone, as are our swim caps. It could be the dye though, my ds is allergic to blue dye #1. I think I would try to find a clear pair, and I would follow Mad Charity's advice and email them. Good Luck! ETA: Oh, and yes, latex has a very definite smell. The smell causes my airways to close, and I have to talk myself through breathing. Similar to an asthma attack. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keptwoman Posted May 28, 2008 Share Posted May 28, 2008 I'm glad I'm not the only one who smells it and has breathing problems! I wonder sometimes if it's all in my head! I've been lucky and never had an issue with any swim goggles, I too wonder if it could have been the dye. I'd be tempted to ring Speedo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoughCollie Posted May 30, 2008 Share Posted May 30, 2008 We've bought Speedo goggles from Lands End for about the last 10 years, and our latex-allergic son has never had a problem with them. We buy new ones every year because, inevitably, the dog chews them up. My son, however, wears only clear or blue goggles (not green ones). I made sure my son's latex allergy is on all of his medical and dental records in big RED letters on the first page and folder cover. The whites of my son's eyes and his lips swell up if he is touched by or touches latex. He doesn't have breathing problems, but we are very careful about latex, because that could be next. He has some kind of eye drops from the doctor that bring the swelling in eyes down. It looks so weird that the first time it happened, I thought he was going blind from some strange disease. I also ordered vinyl gloves for him to use for dissections in science next year. RC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Millie Posted January 12, 2022 Share Posted January 12, 2022 Our daughter was just at the dermatologist for this yesterday. She started swim team last year and got dry itchy red patches on her eyelids. It was diagnosed as eczema by her pediatrician and she was able to keep it under control a baby soap, hydrocortisone crème and aquaphor This year it is much worse, red rings that look like burns where her goggles sit. This dermatologist said she’s allergic to the goggles. But not latex or the silicone, it’s a chemical in that makes the plastics soft and moldable that causes the allergic reactions. She’s going to try Swedish goggles again for practice but race in her speedos. He suggested Nutrogenas Norwegian Hand cream (contains dimethicone) on her eyes before her goggles as a skin barrier. We are hopeful as even hypoallergenic goggles give her this reaction. And it is definitely worsening over time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cintinative Posted January 16, 2022 Share Posted January 16, 2022 zombie thread. Reported. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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