More than 500 parents who had a child with allergies were interviewed about severity and effects of allergies on their child's life, and their responses were compared to more than 500 parents of children without allergies.

The survey, conducted by the national public opinion research organization Schulman, Ronca and Bucuvalas, Inc., also found 40 percent of parents indicated that their child's allergies interfere a lot or somewhat with their sleep compared to 8 percent of parents of children without allergies.

Twenty-one percent of the parents of children's with allergies said the allergies limit their children's activities, compared with 11 percent of parents of the controls. Forty percent of parents of children with allergic rhinitis -- sneezing, itching, nasal congestion and discharge -- report their condition interferes with their performance at school compared to 10 percent of parents of children without allergic rhinitis who attribute lower performance at school to health issues.

The survey results were presented at the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology annual meeting in Philadelphia.