As with most allergens, avoidance is the best way to prevent an attack. After Zucker-Pinchoff and Lockwood left their jobs, they both found their conditions became more manageable. Zucker-Pinchoff needed no medications while Lockwood needed occasional antihistamines and oral steroids.
Riedl said there has been a move toward using powder-free latex gloves as well as nonlatex gloves that use synthetic rubbers in hospitals because people are more aware of latex allergies.
Bringing a personal supply of nonlatex gloves to a hospital or a doctor's office and keeping some epinephrine and antihistamine handy are proactive things one can do in order to prevent or manage a reaction.
But experts say interest in the issue has faded in the last five years.
"It's become blasé to even talk about latex allergy," said Dr. Hugh Windom, an allergy specialist and associate professor of medicine at the University of Southern Florida. "We're not seeing the numbers we used to, which is good news."
The prevalence of latex allergies in the general population has always been relatively low compared to at-risk groups -- health-care workers and people who undergo multiple surgeries.
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health estimate that about 1 percent of the general population is sensitive to latex, while about 12 percent of health-care workers, who are regularly exposed to the protein, are sensitive.
But the severity of a latex allergy and the widespread use of latex still call for caution.
Stadtmauer, of Mount Sinai School of Medicine, recalled one case of a woman who got hair extensions at a salon, not realizing that the glue used contained latex. The proteins were absorbed quickly through the scalp, and she had a reaction.
"Really, you don't know," Stadtmauer said. "It can crop up in unusual places."
Do you have more information about this topic? If so, please click here to contact the editors of ABC News.
