OOAK Table Tennis Forum

Since coming back to playing table tennis, I have noticed that I seem almost always to have a cold; runny nose, sneezing etc.. I have put this down to the shaking of sweaty hands after playing, but I haven't noticed that other people seem to be suffering. As a side note, I had very few colds between leaving university in 2007 and starting table tennis again, about 6 months ago.

However, I also wear a fitness band, and changed to a Garmin Vivoactive a few months ago, after wearing a Microsoft band for about a year. I now get a reaction to the Garmin, in the form of an itchy and bumpy red rash around my wrist. The band is made of silicone, but I understand that this often contains latex. As does water based glue, and probably most table tennis rubbers. Because I use H8, I am constantly having to rub my hands across the rubber face to clean it, and I do notice a redness on my palm as well. Latex allergy, which is rare, can lead to cold-like symptoms especially in asthmatics. (I have ordered a stainless steel replacement band, so will see if there is an improvement.)

Has anyone else experienced any symptoms? And, if so, is there any solution? Latex free rubbers for instance. Anti-histamines? I am thinking of using latex-free gloves to play, but this would presumably work against germs as well, so difficult to tell if any improvement was due to either effect.

_________________
Other setups:
SDC Custom Blade/Butterfly Dignics 80/Butterfly Glayzer
BTY Viscaria/Tibhar K3/Tibhar K3

_________________
Blog: "Holy Chtchet!" ⇝

Projects: Player Equipment Grid ⇝ Comprehensive Thin Inverted Chopping Rubbers Grid ⇝ Please send me corrections or new submissions

@japsican I can only see my quoted post in your reply.

_________________
Other setups:
SDC Custom Blade/Butterfly Dignics 80/Butterfly Glayzer
BTY Viscaria/Tibhar K3/Tibhar K3

Allergy to latex comes from residual proteins in the rubber - they try to remove the proteins as much as possible but the residual amounts are enough to cause a reaction in some people.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latex_allergy

Apparently the really bad cases involve life-threatening shock (the Type 1 reactions mentioned in the article), in most people the effect is dermatitis. I don't think it involves cold or flu-like symptoms, though it may be possible. In any case I think you actually have to be in contact with the latex rubber (i.e. lightly vulcanized or unvulcanized rubber products) - such as wearing gloves, or getting rubber adhesive on your hands - to get affected, just breathing in air around table tennis rubber or adhesives probably wouldn't trigger it. In any case, if you see an allergy specialist, they should be able to determine if you have it by using a skin patch test.

I'm surprised silicone rubber would give you the same reaction, since it is entirely synthetic:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silicone_rubber

It's entirely possible that you're actually allergic to silicone..

Iskandar

The internet is full of stuff.

"In the last fifteen years, we have seen an increasing number of immediate allergic reactions occurring very soon after contact with latex, due to allergy to the protein content of natural rubber, known as rubber latex.

This type of allergic reaction is the same type that occurs in hay fever, allergic asthma and peanut allergy. It can vary in severity from a mild nettle rash on contact, to severe anaphylaxis with respiratory symptoms and collapse. It is potentially fatal but deaths are fortunately very uncommon. Unlike the Type 4 reaction, it is not delayed and can occur within minutes of contact. This immediate type of reaction is caused by the production of allergic antibody known as IgE. We know that more than 6% of the general population have now developed allergic antibody to natural rubber latex protein and that approximately 10% of health personnel, who are occupationally exposed to rubber gloves and other rubber articles have been found to suffer symptoms on contact." (My BOLD).
https://www.allergyuk.org/rubber-latex- ... ex-allergy

"Silicone allergy occurs very rarely. Many times silicone allergy is caused by contact with products not purely composed of silicone. Some of these allergies are triggered by the latex present in the silicone product. It is in fact this additive, which are normally responsible for silicone allergy.
Silicone is used in many household products such as polishes, cosmetic products and soaps, and various other things such as medical silicone allergy bracelets which are worn by children.
Symptoms Related To Silicone Allergy
The symptoms will differ from person to person, depending on the person’s immune system reactivity and the amount of exposure to silicone allergen.
Skin symptoms: rash, itching, hives, red bumps on the skin. Skin symptoms are first to occur with silicone allergy when you come in contact with silicone products. The severity of the skin symptoms may vary depending upon the quantity of poisoning and health status of the individual.
Eye symptoms: Symptoms of silicone allergy contact lenses include watery eyes, itching in eyes, red eyes, sore eyes, and swollen eyes. Contact lenses wearer encounters discomfort, some time while wearing it. It is usually not due to silicone lenses, but due to the various other allergens such as tear film proteins, pollens, and chemicals, that adhere to lens surface while wearing, handling, storage and manufacturing.
In some cases red veins in the eyes may be visible.
Respiratory symptoms: Sneezing, running nose, cough and wheezing, sore throat. Severe cases may be associated with breathlessness and wheezing sensation." Again my BOLD.
http://www.simple-remedies.com/allergie ... lergy.html

I am seeing my doctor about this soon. I have been told by my doctors in the past that I have an allergy, but they have never been able to pinpoint the cause. Symptoms have usually been very mild, so no real hassle. I am certainly reacting to the Garmin band, but never did to the Microsoft one, which appears to be made of silicone as well. My conclusion is that there is something else in the Garmin silicone.

_________________
Other setups:
SDC Custom Blade/Butterfly Dignics 80/Butterfly Glayzer
BTY Viscaria/Tibhar K3/Tibhar K3

Over the last week, I have tried to avoid contacting rubber. So I have a wrist band with a hole cutout for the HR sensor to use with my Garmin Vivoactive HR while I wait for the stainless steel band, and am actively avoiding touching the rubber on my bat. Certainly the rash on my wrist has died down, although it took several days. And I am no longer experiencing cold or hay fever symptoms.


I am enough of a scientist to know that correlation doesn't prove cause, but I'm hopeful.

_________________
Other setups:
SDC Custom Blade/Butterfly Dignics 80/Butterfly Glayzer
BTY Viscaria/Tibhar K3/Tibhar K3