AAFA names Louisville, Ky., top spring allergy capital

The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America has released its annual Spring Allergy Capitals report, naming Louisville, Ky., the No. 1 spring allergy capital, up from fifth place last year, according to a press release.

This location was chosen due to a greater than average pollen count, high use of allergy medications by local patients and a lack of allergy specialists in the metropolitan area, according to the release. Other findings include:

New top 10 cities include: No. 7 Dallas (up from No. 23 in 2013), No. 8 Richmond, Va., (previously No. 22) and No. 9 Birmingham, Ala. (up from No. 14);
Top 20 cities now include: No. 13 New York (up from No. 43), No. 14 Columbia, S.C. (previously No. 34), No. 15 San Antonio (up from No. 24), and No. 20 Virginia Beach, Va. (previously No. 66); and
No. 77 Los Angeles fell the most, down from No. 38 in 2013.

Winter conditions have fluctuated during the past several weeks causing record rain or snow and temperature changes of nearly 50 degrees in just 1 day, according to the release. These changes in precipitation add to mold levels in areas affected by moisture, in addition to tree pollination.

Clifford W. Bassett

“No matter what time of the year it is, and no matter what Mother Nature sends our way, people with allergies need to be prepared and proactive to avoid allergy misery,” Clifford W. Bassett, MD, FAAAAI, FACAAI, medical director of Allergy and Asthma Care of New York and an ambassador for the AAFA, said in the release. “Now we have the ability to prevent symptoms before they even occur, but patients have to take the first step to visit their doctors and to get ahead of their disease.”

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