Respiratory allergies in the elderly

In the elderly the clinical presentation of allergic diseases is often misleading due to the borrowed symptomatology and comorbidities. Moreover at this age skin tests are most often negative in relation to a physiological skin anergy linked to age. The diagnosis of allergic diseases in the elderly is important because of their impact on the quality of life and the morbidity they can cause. Allergic diseases have an impact on the management of the elderly. The presentation of allergic disease is not always typical which is why it is important to look for it even if the symptoms are not very suggestive. The most frequent allergens in the elderly are household allergens. Drug allergies should be investigated in these patients with multiple medications. Asthma is a comorbidity that must be controlled to avoid a cascade of pathologies and hospitalization in the elderly.