Allergy Capitals
Where you live has a huge impact on those who have
outdoor/seasonal allergies. Certain places are notorious for having low allergy
levels where as for others, places can be known as allergy capitals.
According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America
(AAFA) 40 million have hay fever/nasal allergies and 10 million have allergic
asthma. Although not all of these people, and perhaps yourself, have outdoor
allergies, a big chunk does.
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| Fall Allergy Capitals |
If you happen to be one of these unfortunate souls you may
wonder, am I living in the right place? Or is my residence one of the causes of
my worsening symptoms.
The AAFA established the “Most Challenging Cities to Live
with Fall Allergies” for 2011.
High on the
list are 1. Knoxville, TN, 2. Dayton, OH, 3. McAllen, TX, 4. Jackson, MS, and 5. Oklahoma City, OK. Other high
contenders were scattered about the eastern states, south and southwest, and
some west coast (mostly California).
So what do you do if you live in one of these places?
If
moving is an option and symptoms are severe, that is always a very valid
choice. However this may not be ideal for everyone . The next best thing is
avoidance. This could be staying indoors, using ventilation[HEPA filter]/ac
instead of opening windows, using pharmacologic interventions, checking daily
pollen counts (in your local paper or online). Other avoidance ideas are
discussed in previous blog entries.
If you are interested in checking pollen counts online, such
resources exist such as http://www.pollen.com/allergy-weather-forecast.asp
. This website can be used to search different allergy triggers according to
city/zip code.
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| http://www.pollen.com/allergy-weather-forecast.asp |
So what are some of the best cities for the seasonal
sufferer? This is more subject to change than the most challenging cities.
According to the AAFA such “low allergy” cities include Canton, OH, Spokane, WA,
Portland, OR, Springfield, MO, and Scranton, PA.
So unless your planning on moving or just trying to tough it
out, no city is “free from allergies”, the best you can hope for is less.
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