Allergy and allergy-like symptoms in 1,050 medical students

During a 10-year period 1,050 medical students were questioned regarding allergy and allergy-like symptoms and 612 of them underwent skin prick tests with dog, cat, timothy and birch allergens. Symptoms of eczema, asthma or non-infectious rhinitis, past or current, or current reactions to pollen, furred animals, dust, mould or food were reported by 46% of the students. Three per cent reported present eczema of the flexure type and a further 8% reported past symptoms of the same kind. Current contact e zema was reported by 7% and past contact eczema by a further 3%. Daily treatment with ointments was reported by 52% of the students with current flexure eczema and by 17% with current contact eczema. Current asthma was reported by 5% and past asthma by a further 3%. Of those with current asthma, 88% were allergic to pollens and/or furred animals and 57% used anti-asthmatic drugs for at least 2 weeks/year. Current allergic symptoms in the nose and/or eyes were reported by 29% and a further 2% reported past symptoms. Of those with current symptoms 64% were allergic to pollens and/or furred animals, as judged by the history and skin tests. Almost 60% of the students with pollen allergy used anti-allergic drugs for at least 2 weeks/year. Allergy to pollens was reported by 17%, to animals by 12%, to house dust by 10%, to moulds by 2% and to foods by 15%. Allergy reported and confirmed by a prick test was found in 8% against birch, 6% against timothy, 10% against cat and 5% against dog.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)