Spring allergies do not mix with the southeast

There are lots of places we would probably not choose to visit, some because of their climate, other because of the people, and others because we just don’t care, but, if you have an spring allergy, there’s a place you shouldn’t visit in your whole life: Lexington, Ky., ranked the most challenging place to live with spring allergies by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America’s.
Coming in a close second and third were Greensboro, N.C., and Johnson City, Tenn., followed by August, Ga., Jackson, Miss., and Knoxville, Tenn.

allergy sneezing

A non-profit organization that provides information, support and community-based services, the Asthma and Allergy Foundation culled 2007 data and ranked cities on three factors: pollen counts, medication usage by allergy patients and the number of board-certified allergists per patient.
No area appears to be hit as consistently hard by spring allergies as the Southeast, where pollen-producing oak, maple and elm trees are common and the open environment makes it easy for lightweight, airborne spores to travel. In addition to pollen, the region’s high relative humidity provides the perfect environment for dust mites and cockroaches. Their droppings trigger perennial allergies.
"You’ve got this background misery and then you add the pollen on top of that," says Dr. Richard Weber, a spokesman for the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology and a professor of medicine at the Denver-based National Jewish Medical and Research Center. "Some places are just wonderful for allergists to live in."

So, be prepared. If you’re prone to spring allergies, try to start taking medication before you begin sneezing or feeling that telltale itching in your nose, eyes and ears, Weber says. He also recommends rinsing your nose with salt water twice daily to help relieve symptoms.
And of course, anything you can do to limit your exposure to pollen will help, whether it’s staying indoors in the middle of the day, keeping your windows closed or taking a shower to rinse the pollen off your hair before you go to bed, says Dr. Jordan S. Josephson, a board-certified otolaryngologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York and author of Sinus Relief Now.
If you’re still miserable, don’t start doubling or tripling your dosage. See a specialist.