Abstract

The skin is one of the largest targets for allergic and immunologic responses. An online survey was conducted in Brazil on 2,003 adults as a representative sample of the general Brazilian population. 37.3% of Brazilian adults (mean age 38 +/- 13.2 years old) reported having allergies. Reported allergies included respiratory allergies (74.6%), skin allergies (52.7%) and food llergies (46.1%), and 82% reported their allergies had been diagnosed by a doctor. 60% of those who reported allergies also reported experiencing ssociated skin reactions, they were 1.3 to 4.5 times more likely to report a cutaneous isease and were 3 times to report a sensitive skin compared to those who did not report allergies. In addition, those that reported allergies were also 3 times more likely to report experiencing skin reactions when using skincare roducts. It is estimated that over 55 million Brazilian adults report having allergies. These results will help raise the awareness among both health care professionals and general population about the burden of allergies and the need to develop solutions to mitigate their impact on health.