Spring Allergy Hotspots

Sniffling? Sneezing? Battling itchy, watery eyes?

Not to put too fine a point on it, but join the club.

Spring means flower buds, warmer temps and for millions of Americans, the return of allergy season.

Once again, the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) has put together its list of allergy capitals, or the most challenging places to live with allergies this spring season. To compile the rankings, the group weighed pollen scores and the number of allergy medications used per patient in the 100 largest metro areas in the country, as well as the number of allergy specialists per patient in each spot.

"There is no place safe from allergies in America, [but] some cities are more problematic than others," the AAFA website states.

To get some relief, the Mayo Clinic recommends staying indoors on dry windy days, delegating outdoor chores that can stir up allergens and removing clothes you've worn outside when you come in for the day.

This year, there's been some serious shake-ups on the list (number 42 last year now cracked the top 10?), as well as many of the usual suspects that can present a real challenge for area residents.

Are you surprised that your hometown did -- or didn't -- make the cut? Let us know.

Comments

[Lisa Bowen]

03:37 PM on 03/23/2012

I've controlled and reduced my allergies with Buteyko Breathing, a non-drug series of exercises to reduce and control symptoms of asthma, allergies and chronic colds. It was refined by Dr. Konstantin Buteyko of Russia who discovered most people with these ailments are actually over-breathing and the way out is to breathe more softly and get out of that habit,which he called chronic hidden hyperventilation. You can learn it at the Breathing Retraining Center in the San Francisco Bay Area, among other places.

[psnyder325]

09:16 PM on 03/22/2012

I'm surprised Denver didn't make the list. With the dryness and thin atmosphere here, lots of us are miserable. Then add the wildfire season to that......sniff, sniff....achoo!

[samdogdamndog2]

07:53 PM on 03/22/2012

I can see moldy damp places like New Orleans being on the list, but...Virginia Beach??? I thought it was all sand and pavement?

[iwantanswers]

06:05 PM on 03/22/2012

The Atlanta area has to be up there! It's been miserable lately, and we all are driving around in "green" cars...and I don't mean that in a good way!

[Styxtap]

05:43 PM on 03/22/2012

How is Atlanta not on this list... my car is literally coated in pollen. there are yellow puddles in the streets

[MichelNYC]

10:49 AM on 03/22/2012

Allergies are horrendous in NOLA.

[jacobomorales]

09:58 AM on 03/22/2012

Really, what happened to NVA?

[sammie is all]

04:48 PM on 03/22/2012

What si NVA

[sammie is all]

04:48 PM on 03/22/2012

What is NVA?

[mawgui]

08:29 AM on 03/22/2012

These people have clearly never been to Michigan!

[Joe H Woods Menefee]

01:31 AM on 03/22/2012

I heard for years that Knoxville was the worse, I knew it was bad and thought it was just hype. This article confirms it was just hype.

[cyrosie]

11:12 PM on 03/21/2012

Gosh, that's funny, we're told Tucson AZ is probably the worst when it comes to allergies - we don't get rain to wash the pollen off, yet it's not listed.

[local21]

08:20 AM on 03/22/2012

That caught me by surprise, I never really thought allergies would be a problem in the dry climate of AZ.
Now if you can explain why there are tanning salons in Pheonix.....:)

[gailloof]

06:07 PM on 03/21/2012

How did Kona not appear on this list? With all the flowers and the vog if you see someone without a drippy nose you ask what is wrong.

[gumbygirl]

06:01 PM on 03/21/2012

I live in Birmingham. Right now, the pollen is so bad that it looks like a sandstorm. I am so boogered up, it snot even funny. But I will say, Benadryl and beer is a fabulous combination!

[Katie Scarlett OHara]

04:44 PM on 03/21/2012

"How is [insert name of hometown here] not on this list! Clearly whoever wrote this has never been here!" - at least half the people commenting on this post

[infopro]

12:34 PM on 03/21/2012

I can fully concur on Louisville -- Allergy Central, with the "Ohio Valley Crud." It's always something there.....

[Peggy Creswell]

12:27 PM on 03/21/2012

Curious...of all the beautiful photos one could have shown of Chattanooga, Tennessee, why in the world would you have chosen a highway sign? Chattanooga is known as the Scenic City, and with all the gorgeous mountains that surround the city, not to mention the graphically stunning aquarium, someone chose this cop-out picture. Not a fan.