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 students who consider themselves to have allergic rhinoconjunctivitis and to find out how they treat themselves.

Method: The study was performed outside the pollen season in 1993 and 1994 and 5,938 first-year secondary 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 being given a description of the disease. Sixty-five percent had had symptoms for 3 or more years and most of the sufferers, 71%, had had symptoms during the spring and/or summer. In 32% of the sufferers the causative agent was unknown. Seventy-six percent (n = 1,103) of the sufferers 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 cromoglycate and/or steroids, n = 545), only 14% used them daily, 51% always when having symptoms, and 35% occasionally when having symptoms. The reasons for not using nasal sprays daily were inconvenience and embarrassment. Twenty-five percent had bought the drug over the counter in 1992, the first year when allergy drugs could be purchased without a prescription. The use of over-the-counter treatment increased in the following year to 33% (P < .05).

Conclusion: We conclude that many young people perceive themselves as having allergic rhinoconjunctivitis and that the treatment can be much improved for the group as a whole.