Allergic diseases in adolescents

Abstract

Abstract OBJECTIVES. We reviewed the literature on allergic disorders during adolescence. MATERIAL AND METHODS. The Pubmed, Google, Google Scholar and Proquest Central databases were used with search terms: adolescent, teenager, allergic rhinitis, asthma, atopic dermatitis and food allergy. RESULTS. Children with a proven allergy have a risk for developing another allergic disorder that is 8-fold higher compared to normal and approaching 7-fold for asthma. The age at which allergy is diagnosed in childhood has a powerful bearing on whether allergic disorders or asthma develop in adolescence. Atopic response severity in a patient during childhood predicts the severity of allergic asthma as an adult. Patients may become asthmatic as adolescents, probably due to a late presentation of allergic disease, or as the presenting complaint for the triad of intrinsic asthma, nasal polyp formation and aspirin intolerance (so-called Samter triad). Allergic eczema (Atopic dermatitis) carries on into their adolescent years in between 10 and 20% of children. Food allergy (FA) is more frequently noted in childhood and adolescence than in adulthood. For the most part, symptoms were attributable to pollen-associated FA and of mild severity. Being hypersensitive to food for non-allergic reasons was rarer. CONCLUSION. Allergic rhinitis represents a significant risk factor for becoming asthmatic, whether in childhood, adolescence or adulthood. Atopic dermatitis and food allergy are also frequent conditions during adolescence. Pollen-associated FA constitutes an important part of the food allergy. Furthermore, food allergy may be the leading trigger for anaphylaxis. Common associations/comorbidities of atopic dermatitis reported are other atopic conditions such as food allergies, asthma and allergic rhinitis/rhinoconjunctivitis.