Latex is something most people take for granted. Your doctor and dentist wear latex gloves when treating you and the versatile stuff is in lots of common products like balloons, toys, pacifiers, bandages, adhesive tape, and condoms. However, if you have a latex allergy it can be very serious.

Mild Latex allergy symptoms:

• Coughing
• Hives
• Itchy eyes
• Rash
• Sneezing

Severe latex allergy symptoms:

• Confusion
• Difficulty breathing
• Dizziness
• Irregular pulse
• Nausea
• Vomiting

This is one of those allergies that you need to wear an identification alert for because latex is so common, especially in a hospital. If you are in an accident and you are unable to communicate you will be taken to a hospital. If there is no way for the doctors to know you are allergic to latex you could get a high amount of exposure before they notice a reaction or before you are able to tell them. As with any allergy severity can increase so what is a mild annoyance today could turn life threatening tomorrow.

How do I know all of this? I have a mild latex allergy. The tape they use to stick cotton balls to your arm after you donate blood cause hives on which is how I found out. Short term exposure like when a doctor is wearing latex gloves doesn’t bother me…yet. But according to my doctor it could, so I try to be careful.

Do you have a latex allergy? How do you handle it?

Photo Credit: Neeta Lind

I love kitty cats. They are so cute and furry and fluffy and cuddly…if they like you. I like that they are independent and yet friendly at the same time. That they don’t love you blindly like some animals but instead choose to befriend you. You know what else I like? They don’t drool. Ewww. And they don’t have slobbery tongues. Yes, my odd issues really don’t matter so back to the point.

The point is my husband doesn’t want a cat because he thinks he’s allergic. I say thinks because he won’t actually go get tested. Personally I think this is just an excuse not to get a cat so I started thinking offense. I figured hey…there are allergen free dogs, maybe there are allergen free cats as well. Right? Not so much. The only thing I could find cost about 30k ( a valid reason not to get one in my opinion).  So what does the queen of allergies say to her sweet husband who as an “allergy” to cats. Nothing. I’ve got nothing and it is soooo depressing. I guess that’s why dogs are man’s best friend, because they come in allergen free varieties.

Have you found a way to live with cats if you are allergic to them? Please share!

Photo Credit Tambako the Jaguar  

As mentioned in my previous post, poison ivy isn’t the most fun you’ll ever have. What should you do about this annoying plant? First, make sure your pets aren’t exposed (as illustrated by the puppy story). Is that all there is to it? No, of course not. You need to be able to recognize the plant too, so you won’t stumble into a patch while you are hiking with your dog. The picture above is a close-up of the plant so watch out for this plant of misery masquerading as a harmless bit of forestry background. (Fair warning, it can vary in appearance depending on location so do a bit of local research before heading out into the woods)

Where is poison ivy typically found? So glad you asked! Most of the time it grows in vines on trees or along the ground. Sometimes, however, if it is desperate to go up with nothing to climb it will become a little shrub. It can be found (in various forms) all over the United States and in some parts of Canada.

Now for the really bad news, even if you know what it looks like in your area and where it could be found, it can still be really hard to avoid. If you have a serious allergy to poison ivy, poison oak, or poison sumac (variations of the plant) then you may want to take a few extra precautions like wearing long sleeve shirts and pants tucked into shoes. Shirts tucked into gloves aren’t a horrible idea either? If you (or your pet) is exposed was off the oil as soon as possible to prevent itching and avoid further contamination.

What do you do to avoid poison ivy exposure?

Photo Credit Cygnus921