In this edition of the Tenura Blog, I am going to discuss Latex and Latex Free daily living aids.

When doing some product research, I was intrigued into where latex comes from and why so many people are allergic to latex.

What is Latex?

Latex is a liquid substance that is naturally produced in trees. It acts as the trees natural defence mechanism against insects wanting to nest in its bark. Latex is made up of the tree’s natural oils, starches, sugars, gums, proteins, resins and tannins.

Why Buy Latex Free Daily Living Aids?

Latex is an irritant, which can also be manufactured synthetically. Up to 10% of the population has a reaction to natural rubber Latex and Synthetic Latex. The majority of people who are allergic to latex come out in a rash known as Dermatitis. But it can also affect people in more serious ways.

Latex is found in all rubber products such as rubber gloves, elastic bands, rubber clothing, shoes and baby bottles, to mention but a few. Latex is also found in a lot of daily living aids currently available in the market.

Tenura silicone daily living aids designed for independent living are non-toxic, chemically inert and made entirely from Latex free Silicone. So, there will be no problems for anybody using Tenura products on a regular basis.

Why do People Have Allergic Reactions to Latex?

Latex contains certain allergens that can be found in foods such as bananas, passion fruit and kiwis. With all allergies your body produces antibodies to fight off what it believes to be an infection, the body then releases histamine which, in turn, makes symptoms of allergies start displaying. Symptoms of a latex allergy include; itching, rash, sneezing, wheezing and a scratchy throat. If you believe you have a latex allergy, seek advice from an allergist and avoid contact with latex products until seen.

The Physiotherapy Daily Living Aids Market

We at Tenura are always looking to improve and expand our range of Tenura non-slip products. In the next few months, we will be introducing a few physiotherapy products. Our new daily living aids are in the early stages of development and will be Latex free, we are excited to see how people will benefit from them.

We have noticed from doing product research that within the physiotherapy market there is a surprisingly large amount of Latex equipment out there. We hope that more people can feel the benefit of there being more Latex free options to choose from. The new products, like the rest of the Tenura range, will be Latex-free.

What new products would you like to see introduced to the current Tenura daily living aid range? Let us know via social media, you can find Tenura on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.