Come spring and newspapers, magazines, and Internet feeds everywhere are flooded with headlines broadcasting the worst cities to live for allergy sufferers. The East Coast, due to its seasonal grasses and climate is known to be a particularly difficult region for allergy sufferers. There are, however, certain places where people are less likely to be affected by allergies.
In the past is was widely believed that if people could move to a dry, desert-like area (i.e. Arizona), they would not experience severe allergic reactions. But over the years, as people travel and settle in different places, they tend to carry the allergens with them in the form of plants, grasses, and chemicals. So now there is practically no place free of allergens. However, depending on the type of allergy a person is suffering from, some locations might provide a safe haven for allergy sufferers.
The factors associated with a place, such as the climate and the terrain, are largely responsible for the allergens that trigger the symptoms of an allergy. Temperate climates, for instance, can shelter allergens for longer periods of time allowing them to thrive.
There are essentially three major allergy seasons – spring when plants and trees start flowering, late spring when grass is in full bloom, and late summer to early fall when ragweed grows. Different allergies peak in different seasons and thus differ from person to person. It has been observed that the more rain an area receives, the lower is its pollen count. Thus, places that experience a good amount of rainfall throughout the year have less allergens. As far as the seasons are concerned, late winter-melt followed by a cool, wet spring is the best time during the year for allergy sufferers.
Regardless of where you live there are precautions you can take to lessen the affects of allergies. These include keeping doors and windows shut and running an air conditioner, changing clothes frequently and taking a shower on returning from working outside, keeping over-the-counter medicines and nasal sprays or shots well stocked at home in case of an emergency, and keeping the phone number of your allergist saved in your phone at all times. Managing stress is another effective way to regulate allergies, as it is a proven fact that stress can worsen allergies. In case a person feels the symptoms of an allergy emerging, he or she should let the other people in the room know so that a prompt action can be taken at the right time.
