HOW MANY TEENAGERS THINK THEY HAVE ALLERGIC RHINOCONJUNCTIVITIS AND WHAT THEY DO ABOUT IT

Objective: A study was made to assess the proportion of 17-year-old st udents who consider themselves to have allergic rhinoconjunctivitis an d to find out how they treat themselves. Method: The study was perform ed outside the pollen season in 1993 and 1994 and 5,938 first-year sec ondary school students in eight different cities were asked to answer a questionnaire during class. Results: A total of 1,458 students (24%) claimed that they suffered from allergic rhinoconjunctivitis after be ing given a description of the disease. Sixty-five percent had had sym ptoms for 3 or more years and most of the sufferers, 71%, had had symp toms during the spring and/or summer. In 32% of the sufferers the caus ative agent was unknown. Seventy-six percent (n = 1,103) of the suffer ers treated themselves with drugs. The most commonly used drugs for a systemic effect were nonsedating antihistamines and for a local effect , sodium cromoglycate. Of those who used nasal drugs (sodium cromoglyc ate and/or steroids, n = 545), only 14% used them daily, 51% always wh en having symptoms, and 35% occasionally when having symptoms. The rea sons for not using nasal sprays daily were inconvenience and embarrass ment. Twenty-five percent had bought the drug over the counter in 1992 , the first year when allergy drugs could be purchased without a presc ription. The use of over-the-counter treatment increased in the follow ing year to 33% (P < .05). Conclusion: We conclude that many young peo ple perceive themselves as having allergic rhinoconjunctivitis and tha t the treatment can be much improved for the group as a whole.