If not managed properly, having allergies not only makes life a tad bit miserable, but, well, a bit embarrassing, too. Runny, red nose, sneezing at a time when you least wanted to draw attention, frantically searching for a tissue at the most awkward situation, and the mortification that follows after having found none. Sound familiar? A recent survey (pdf file) says you're not alone.

In public, the allergy "snot factor" is inescapable. Nearly seven in ten survey participants (69 percent) have coughed or sneezed up revolting mucus or phlegm in the presence of others. Two-thirds (66 percent) have been caught off-guard without a tissue, forcing them to use their sleeve to catch their runny noses. Red eyes often join mucus as a common physical symptom that instigates public embarrassment. Forty-three percent have been subject to questions about drug use or suspected of "being high" as a result of irritated eyes.

Allergies not only mortify sufferers in public settings, they also greatly impact life at work and in romantic relationships. The survey revealed that three in five women (59 percent) and over half of men (54 percent) are embarrassed by their allergies at work, reporting uncontrollable bouts of coughing and sneezing on bosses and colleagues. The effects of allergies are also felt during intimate moments. Forty-four percent have sneezed directly on their date or spouse. For some sufferers (40 percent), allergy symptoms - such as sinus congestion and the inability to breathe - have interrupted or gotten in the way of sex. Nearly half of the respondents (46 percent) have avoided sex or intimacy all together as a result of their miserable symptoms.

Here are a bunch of tongue-in-cheek videos illustrating these situations when allergies interfere with our lives. It's totally nuts, but one can't deny there's an element of truth in each of them. Check these coping.tv videos out:



These videos were developed by Efficas, a non-prescription medical food that suppresses production of leukotrienes, inflammatory substances produced by the body and known to cause allergy and asthma symptoms.