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Winter thaw means it’s time to deal with another beast of weather’s burden: spring allergies. As the temperatures begin to rise and plants begin to blossom, they bring with them the all-too familiar sound of sneezes and sniffles.
Nearly 45 million Americans suffer from nasal allergies and a chronic sensitivity to substances like pollen and mold, and as spring approaches, the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America released its annual list of top 100 U.S. “allergy capitals.”
The AAFA annually ranks the cities with the highest pollen scores, number of allergy medications used per patient and number of allergy specialists per patient and produces its list of “the most challenging places to live with spring allergies.” For 2014, Louisville, Ky. is the “Allergy Capital” of the United States, up from fifth in the organization’s rankings last year.
An average score on the AAFA’s scale is a 59.92, and Louisville garnered a 100.00 grade for this spring. Los Angeles and New York each jumped way up the list this spring, with New York climbing from 43rd to 13th and Los Angeles rising from 77th to 38th.
Last year’s allergy capital, Jackson, Ms., actually dropped to fifth in this year’s rankings.
Here’s a list of the top 10 cities — interestingly, all in the South — that are the worst offenders:
1. Louisville, Ky.
2. Memphis, Tenn.
3. Baton Rouge, La.
4. Oklahoma City
5. Jackson, Miss.
6. Chattanooga, Tenn.
7. Dallas
8. Richmond, Va.
9. Birmingham, Ala.
10. McAllen, Texas
Agencies/Canadajournal
