Physician-diagnosed asthma and allergic rhinitis in Manitoba: 1985-1998

Trends in utilization of physician resources for allergic rhinitis differed strikingly from trends for asthma, particularly in the youngest age group. Asthma and allergic rhinitis affected comparable proportions of the population, but a diagnosis of asthma resulted in much higher utilization of physician resources. The relationship of physician-diagnosed asthma and atopy, as indicated by the diagnosis of allergic rhinitis, appears to have weakened with time in children but not in adults.