Study of Prevalence of Allergy among College Students

Objective To assess the prevalence and pattern of Allergic diseases among College Students. Method 200 College Students from Dasuya town of district Hoshiarpur situated at 31.82N 75.66E of Punjab, India included in the present survey. A detailed Performa was filled by all the participants. Data was collected about the allergen, family history, duration and time of allergic reaction and medication. The allergy was further subcategorized on the basis of type of allergen into ten different types. In addition, information was collected about the age, sex, place of residing and medication taken for allergy. None of the participant was smoker or alcohol drinker. Results Of all the Students included in the present study 63.5 % were suffering from one or another type of allergy. Amongst the allergens, dust was the most common cause of allergy (24 %) followed by Sunlight (17 %) and Cosmetics (11 %). The other allergens include Food, Pollen grains, Climate, Drugs, synthetic clothes, Detergents and Metals (48 %). Out of the allergic participants 19 % were having allergic reaction in the form of sneezing, 18 % with a feeling of running nose and 16 % had itching, 13 % had rashes, 12 % had watery eyes, 10 % had burning sensation, 10 % had Chest Congestion and 2 % had nausea. In most of participants the allergic reaction remained for hours (29 %) while in some cases it remained for only minutes (22 %). In other participants it remained throughout the year (7 %) or for few months (17 %) while in still small number of participants it remained for days (25 %). Conclusion This study suggests that allergy is a common problem among College students and the most common allergen is dust. Since till date there are no permanent cures for allergies and it can be managed only with proper prevention and treatment. One of the plausible reasons for increase in allergy is change in environment. This information will provide important insight for targeting allergy prevention and management programs and interventions. Allergy, Allergen, Allergic Reaction, Prevalence.