# Do latex paint fumes cause allergies?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-latex-paint-fumes-cause-allergies/666737>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 20, 2013, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-latex-paint-fumes-cause-allergies/666737 "2013-08-20T19:17:11Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![LateComer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b5ac83/32.png) [@LateComer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LateComer)\
**Post date:** [August 20, 2013, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-latex-paint-fumes-cause-allergies/666737/1 "2013-08-20T19:17:11Z")

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So, if you’re allergic to latex, will your body react to the paint fumes from latex paint?

Also, is it the case that if you have a latex allergy that you can’t touch walls painted with latex paint?

thanks.

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**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\
**Post date:** [August 20, 2013, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-latex-paint-fumes-cause-allergies/666737/2 "2013-08-20T20:59:13Z")

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No; latex paint is really an acrylic emulsion in water, and there’s no actual latex in it. Even the tiny amount of fumes/smell that are present in today’s paints are probably mostly solvent anyway.

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**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\
**Post date:** [August 20, 2013, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-latex-paint-fumes-cause-allergies/666737/3 "2013-08-20T21:45:26Z")

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A polymer emulsion is exactly what a latex is. It is a physical form of any repeating molecular structure.

I think by “latex allergy” they mean an allergy to a latex of naturally occurring polyisoprene, colloquially called “natural latex rubber”, and there is none of that in paint (I think).