If you spend the spring sneezing, wheezing and coughing because of allergies, heres a list of places you might want to avoid.
According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, Lexington, Ky., leads the list of the nations "Top 100 Spring Allergy Capitals" -- the most challenging places to live for people with spring allergies.
AAFA ranks the Spring Allergy Capitals based on the impact that key environmental and medical factors have on allergic individuals in each metropolitan area. It identifies the allergy capitals every year to help consumers recognize, prevent and safely treat allergy symptoms.
The top 2008 Spring Allergy Capitals are:
1. Lexington, KY
2. Greensboro, NC
3. Johnson City, TN
4. Augusta, GA
5. Jackson, MS
6. Knoxville, TN
7. Birmingham, AL
8. New Orleans, LA
9. Little Rock, AR
10. San Diego, CA
Allergy sufferers who live in a Spring Allergy Capital should plan ahead, says Dr. Alpen Patel, an Otolaryngologist at Emory University. Our research shows us that consumers want -- and need -- more information about how to deal with their allergy symptoms, especially when it comes to treatment.
Anyone who lives in an Allergy Capital should take the necessary steps to minimize the impact of allergies on their life, says Mike Tringale, Director of External Affairs for AAFA. The Allergy Capital ranking is a great tool to help increase awareness about what allergy sufferers can do to avoid allergy triggers and actually enjoy the spring season.
The Spring Allergy Capitals ranking is part of the Foundations multi-year program to help consumers recognize, prevent and safely treat allergy symptoms. The Allergy Capitals were identified and ranked based on the impact that the following key environmental and medical factors have on the severity of allergies in each market:
• Seasonal pollen
• Use of over-the-counter and prescription allergy medications
• Number of Board Certified allergists
Each factor was weighted to reflect its relative importance as an indicator of allergy severity. The weighted factors were then tallied to assign a total score that determined the final rankings.
