Abstract

Aim:

Skin prick tests are rapid and reliable tests to demonstrate sensitivity against allergens. Our aim in this study was to detect the prevalence of aeroallergens that are common in our region in asthma patients using the skin prick test.

Material and Method:

In this study, 420 patients with asthma (55.5% female, 44.5% male) with a mean age of 32.8±8.4 years were evaluated prospectively. The patients were investigated regarding history, physical examination, pulmonary function test and skin prick test.

Results:

We detected skin prick test positivity in 311 (74%) patients. We detected allergic rhinitis, nasal polyp, and Samter syndrome in 154,16, and 8 patients, respectively. Of the skin prick test-positive patients, 77 (18.3%) had allergy against house-dust mite, 93 (22.1%) against tree-mix, 296 (70.5%) against grass-mix, 129 (30.7%) against cereal-mix, 52 (12.4%) against weed­mix, 18 (4.3%) against epidermal-mix, 21 (5%) against mold-mix, and 47 (11.2%) against cockroach.

Conclusion:

Although in our region the low humidity and sunny and very hot climate keep pollen levels very high, such conditions prevent an increase in the level of home dust. In conclusion, allergic complaints among people living in and around Şanlıurfa city are caused mostly by grasses and cereal pollens.