10 Worst Cities for Fall Allergies
It's so uncomfortable. The watery eyes, the scratchy throat, the runny nose. The annoying (and sometimes, downright miserable) feelings associated with seasonal allergies are familiar to almost half of all Americans, according to a QualityHealth.com HealthOpin poll. For some seasonal sufferers, the city where they live makes allergy season even more challenging, due to high pollen and mold counts.
The good news for all allergy sufferers, regardless of where they live, is that relief is available. The first step for people with allergies is to try to prevent symptoms before they start, says Danica Schulte, MD, an attending physician with the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Allergy and Immunology at Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.
She suggests keeping your windows closed and running a dehumidifier to reduce pollen counts, to use dust mite covers on your pillows, and to keep pets out of your bedroom. If you're already experiencing symptoms, try taking an antihistamine like Zyrtec.
Miserable Cities for Allergies
Find out if where you live is one of the top ten worst cities for allergies, as rated by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA). The rankings were based on the prevalence of airborne grass/tree/weed pollen and mold spores, the number of allergy medications used per patient, and the number of allergy specialists per patient.
1. Greensboro, North Carolina. Perhaps the key reason why Greensboro sits at the top of this list is in its name. All the greenery that makes this southern town so lush may also worsen allergy symptoms. In the fall, ragweed and other weeds and grasses are most likely to aggravate allergies. "Weeds can be as troublesome as springtime allergies," says Schulte. And in a town like Greensboro, which boasts more than 170 parks, it probably produces enough ragweed and pollen to make an allergy sufferer miserable.
2. Greenville, South Carolina.
3. Little Rock, Arkansas.
4. Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina. In Raleigh-Durham, it's weeds that are the biggest allergy offenders. Weak leaf, yellow Indian grass, and yellow nut sedge are other possible perpetrators. Although Raleigh is proud of its tree-lined streets, residents who are allergic to tree pollen may not enjoy them quite as much. Spring, when most trees pollinate, may be an even worse season for these sufferers.
5. Jackson, Mississippi.
6. Knoxville, Tennessee.
7. Grand Rapids, Michigan.
8. Wichita, Kansas.
9. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
10. Madison, Wisconsin.
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