Abstract

Background:
Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a common chronic condition that frequently coexists with asthma or urticaria. Allergen sensitization patterns vary by geography, environmental exposure, and age, however, data on adult and elderly populations remain limited. Understanding age-related sensitization trends is essential for optimizing diagnosis, prevention and allergen immunotherapy (AIT) strategies.
Methods:
This retrospective study included 1,982 adults diagnosed with rhinitis among 7,000 patients who underwent skin prick testing at a tertiary allergy clinic in Türkiye. Patients were categorized by age as young (18–39 years), middle-aged (40–64 years), or elderly (≥65 years), and further classified according to clinical presentation as rhinitis alone, rhinitis with asthma, rhinitis with urticaria, or rhinitis with both. Polysensitization was defined as sensitization to ≥2 allergens, and complex polysensitization as sensitization across distinct allergen groups.
Results:
Overall, 58.5% (n=1160) of patients demonstrated sensitization with rates declining by age (62.0%, 52.7%, and 29.5%, respectively, p

Key words: Allergic rhinitis, Allergen sensitization, Polysensitization, Asthma, Urticaria