Fall Allergy Hotspots: The 20 Worst Places In The U.S.

If you're an allergy sufferer, you hardly need us to remind you, but it is that time of year again ...

Fall allergy season is upon us.

Think you live in a particularly bad spot?

The non-profit Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America has, once again, compiled a list of the 100 worst metro areas for seasonal allergies -- rankings that are based on pollen scores, the number of allergy meds used per patient in any given area, as well as the number of specialists in that spot. According to WebMD, one of the main culprits for fall allergies is ragweed, which typically begins pollinating in August, but can linger into the fall. Mold spores can also play a major role.

Wondering if your hometown made the so-called "allergies capital" list? Check out the 20 worst offenders below or click here for the full list.

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Comments

[MissMiniMonster]

03:42 PM on 10/12/2011

Austin, TX has a season where these certain trees start pollinating and people's allergies go haywire. I can't remember the name of the tree/plant but I'm surprised Allen made the list and not Austin.

[kalemakapii]

03:29 AM on 10/07/2011

Is it me or what, but the South often appears to be backwards or lagging behind the Northeast and West Coast in so many ways.... I wonder why.

[Trublulu]

11:25 PM on 10/06/2011

They are all Southern cities except Madison, Wisconsin. I've been to Madison and it is a beautiful mid-size city, that is home to the University of Wisconsin. Lots of lovely older homes, etc. Has a great farmers market in the State Capitol. So, what is it? All the big trees? Do they cause the allergies?

[kalemakapii]

03:30 AM on 10/07/2011

Too many flowers in that upper mid-west city of yours...

[TXanimal]

11:42 AM on 10/06/2011

Tulsa, I believe. OKC? Not for me. When I moved from NE OH to the OKC area, my allergies improved by leaps and bounds. NE OH is always off the charts on mold & pollen counts...can't believe Cleveland/Akron didn't make the list.

[coalwar]

09:47 AM on 10/06/2011

Amazing how the twenty worst allergy cities correspond to the list of dirtiest coal fired plants. http://www.environmentalintegrity.org/news_reports/50_Dirtiest_US_Power_Plants.php
Wake up! Local air quality has everything to do with allergy rates. Coal Kills!

[Mrsbean54]

04:04 AM on 10/06/2011

Can't believe Tallahassee wasn't in the top 20! Everyone that moves there without allergies develops them in the first year. The pollen is so bad that in the rainy season there are yellow rivers running through the streets. If you sat outside on the lawn for 10 minutes it looked like you'd been dusted with curry powder!

[nasknit]

02:08 AM on 10/06/2011

How did Cincinnati Ohio not make the list? Have you ever seen the mold counts there? It could be used for a new & broader expansion of the word, "high"! News programs show mold counts high, then a week later, they're 5 to 10 X's higher, and still classified as "high"! 70% of the people in the area have allergies + 70% have sinus problems. And, don't forget that crappy air quality! The Cincinnati-Dayton-Wilmington Corridor is rated in the TOP 10 Worst Air Quality, for particulates & Ozone.

[Tree S-B]

09:03 AM on 10/13/2011

I was going to comment on this as well. I'm in terible shape with my allergies and this area is a nightmare! And then we go right into flu season!
I hate having to raise my baby around here.

[nasknit]

07:32 PM on 10/13/2011

I've been trying to get my spouse to move for years. Now, I have asthma! Good luck to you & your baby. I would strongly recommend moving, if you have the chance.

[Jessica Winer Bach]

01:39 AM on 10/06/2011

Wow how did Portland, OR escape this list? I've lived all over the U.S. and never suffered from allergies until I moved here.

[enigma2]

09:27 AM on 10/07/2011

Portland made my allergist's don't move there because of the moisture and mold. Some people like myself have trouble with mold spores.

[MOTHEROFMAJOR]

12:26 AM on 10/06/2011

So, where's Yakima, WA in that list?????

[Roseberry]

09:51 PM on 10/05/2011

Knoxville's tops in the spring, and not just fall, in case you were wondering. Got there in March and could not figure why I had to go to an eye doctor to survive my ocular agony. Then I was told I had moved to the allergy capital of the country. Thank God it was only for a 3-month internship. But it was the most beautiful spring I've ever "seen!"

[liberalbug]

09:39 PM on 10/05/2011

AAAAAAHHHHH-CHOOOOOOOOOOOO!

[yabastid]

09:35 PM on 10/05/2011

In Austin, we get "Cedar Fever". I've lived all over the US, and I've never seen anything quite like it. Austin and San Antonio are loaded with cedar trees, and most winters do not bring a hard freeze, which kills those pesky little males. It hits @ January 15th and lasts 5 or 6 weeks or so. Some days the pollen count is higher than others. Symptoms resemble the flu. The trees actually explode with gray pollen.

[Pita44]

09:33 PM on 10/05/2011

I bet the majority of you people have never even been to the South. I really get sick at how stupid and gullible people are stereotyping an entire region because of false conceptions. I know we have our share of stupidity, but most Southerners are good and intelligent people. The reason we have so many allergies is simple, we have more pollinating flora. I live in Chattanooga, I have allergies but would not live anywhere else. It is beautiful in eastern Tennessee, I will take the seasonal allergic reactions if I get to look at all the beautiful trees and flowers and grass.

[amberhrt1]

09:19 PM on 10/05/2011

Another reason to avoid living in my state of OK...floods, drought,tornadoes, hail as big as cantaloupes, wildfires, blizzards, extreme temps, and don't even think about the politics and religion. Oh, and we are also fatter and more unhealthy than most. Still, I love the place. Call me crazy.

[tomeb]

09:18 PM on 10/05/2011

Houston, guess that is 22