ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Allergic rhinitis is the most common form of non-infectious rhinitis, affecting 500 million people worldwide, with one-fifth of those affected living in the Indian subcontinent. The skin prick test is the most valuable test for detecting offending allergens, and can be helpful for patient education, allergen avoidance and immunotherapy planning. METHOD: The skin prick test was performed with 49 allergens in 486 patients who presented with symptoms of allergic rhinitis, and the allergen profile was studied. RESULTS: Of the 486 allergic rhinitis patients, 335 (68.93 per cent) showed allergen positivity to the skin prick test. Dust mite was the most common allergen, with positive results in 44.65 per cent of cases. CONCLUSION: The most common offending allergen in our study was the dust mite. Identification of specific allergens for a particular geographical area aids patient education and enables allergen-specific immunotherapy.
