A new study has found that allergies involving bouts of sneezing and watery eyes could leave deep emotional scars on the mood of the sufferer. The study has aptly been titled ‘Attitudes about Allergies.’
The study was based on a phone survey of over a thousand allergy sufferers and non-sufferers along with 300 physicians.
Via the survey, it was found that around 62% allergy sufferers said that allergies affected their mood with 51% of people feeling annoyed, 48% irritable and 42% left with a feeling of frustration. 22% said that their allergies made them feel less attractive and 19% self-conscious.
However, the survey also found that 81% of the people viewed diabetes, hypertension or high blood pressure and arthritis as more serious than indoor and outdoor allergies.
29% of the respondents said that they view insomnia as more serious than allergies.
Almost half (48 percent) of allergy sufferers feel their spouse or significant other do not view their allergies to be a serious health condition and that relatives (81 percent), friends (86 percent) and co-workers (78 percent) view their allergies as somewhat serious or not serious.
While the survey found that 78 percent feel sorry for people who have allergies, many believe that allergy sufferers overstate the severity of their symptoms (36 percent) and use them as an excuse to get out of something (30 percent).
Lastly, a majority of physicians (84 percent) said in general, patients do not overstate allergy symptoms.