Exhale
Allergy Capitals
With summer in full swing, there’s no better time for Americans to head outdoors. In fact, the U.S. National Park Service records nearly 300 million recreational visits to outdoor attractions each year.
But for the more than 35 million Americans with nasal allergies and the more than 20 million with asthma, the love of the outdoors clashes with the reality that allergy and asthma triggers abound all across the United States.
So for the eighth year in a row, the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America has released a list of the 100 Allergy Capitals, the most challenging places for people with allergies or asthma. The ratings are based on a scientific analysis of three factors, including pollen scores, number of allergy medications used per patient and the number of allergy specialists per patient. Below are the top 20 places with higher pollen scores, heavier medicine utilization and fewer allergists per patient. Summer travelers beware!
- Knoxville, Tenn.
- Louisville, Ky.
- Chattanooga, Tenn.
- Dayton, Ohio
- Charlotte, N.C.
- Philadelphia, Pa.
- Greensboro, N.C.
- Jackson, Miss.
- St. Louis, Mo.
- Wichita, Kansas
- Madison, Wis.
- Columbia, S.C.
- Richmond, Va.
- Providence, R.I.
- Birmingham, Ala.
- Memphis, Tenn.
- Oklahoma City, Okla.
- Baton Rouge, La.
- Allentown, Pa.
- New Orleans, La.
On its website at www.aafa.org, the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America offers a tip sheet for travelers. Some common sense — but commonly missed — suggestions for a healthy vacation are:
- Take a detailed list of medications showing prescription refill number, prescribing physician
and dosage.
- Pack medication in carry-on luggage in case checked luggage is lost.
- Bring all needed equipment, such as a peak flow meter and nebulizer. If traveling abroad, bring an electrical current converter for the nebulizer. For camping, bring a portable nebulizer powered by an auto cigarette lighter.
- Pack allergy-proof pillow or mattress casings.
- For acute asthma and allergy conditions, wear a medical alert-type necklace or bracelet at all times.
- Check medical insurance policies before leaving the country or state. Know in advance if physician and hospital visits are covered.
- When the vacation destination is selected, get recommendations for asthma and allergy specialists in that area.
- To ask about primary allergens and the pollen count in the area, contact the local chamber of commerce or call the National Allergy Bureau at (800) 9-POLLEN.
This article originally appeared in the July / August 2010 issue of Respiratory & Sleep Management.