From one of our readers
My family and I suffer from both outdoor and indoor allergies. I wanted to know if moving to a moisturized climate would be better for us? — Lola, California
A different reader writes
Eighteen months ago I moved from Albuquerque, New Mexico to Naples, Florida and am in the midst of a bronchial infection caused from sinus drainage. This condition has been ongoing for six weeks now.
I wonder now if it was such a wise idea to move from a high desert climate to reclaimed land that was once a large swamp? The torrential rainfall we have here in southwest Florida probably doesn’t help — Lewis, Florida
Most people find that allergy symptoms lessen in dryer climates or seasons, and worsen with increased humidity. Increased humidity promotes mold spore growth and provides an ideal environment for dust mites. It is also harder to breathe as the barometer goes up. Those of us in more humid areas are often helped by a using dehumidifier continually during high moisture seasons. You can read about my own experience with a dehumidifier here.
However, a humidifier is sometimes prescribed on a temporary basis to soothe the airways and help loosen secretions of chronic infection or other special needs. Unless specifically ordered by your physician, humidifiers should not be run continually because they can promote growth of mold and dust mites. Talk with your physician about what is best for you.
It is always good to spend time in an area you are considering moving to. Visit during different seasons. Even so, there is no sure way to determine how your body will react to the new climate once you move there.
One of our patients who moved to a drier climate a few years ago found that she did not need to continue her shots there at first. But eventually symptoms worsened to the point that she started allergy injections again.
Others have told me that changing climates relieved their symptoms and eliminated their need for injections.
One of our sponsors, National Allergy Supply, has an excellent selection of dehumidifiers as well as a germ-killing humidifier. They also have an excellent reputation as a professional company with down-home values, and I am proud to be able to recommend their products to you.
[Originally posted to AllergyNursing.com on October 20, 2003]
Are areas closer to the beach,better places for people with allergies?Do humid places make allergies worse?Do Places like bay area have allergies at a lower level compared to southern states?Please suggest
Everyone is different. As I wrote above, “Most people find that allergy symptoms lessen in dryer climates or seasons, and worsen with increased humidity.” But some prefer more humid climates.
As to specific areas, the people who live in the various areas are more expert than I of how that particular climate affects their allergies. Look through the posts and comments listed under the various areas in the sidebar categories (click on a state or area to see them). Can someone offer any specific suggestions to Amy?
Living at the beach for me definitely helps. The south is the worst place for allergies I’ve ever lived, and having grown up there. I live in Northern California now in a dry climate. In general, my asthma is better, but my allergies are still serious. I recently went to Costa Rica for 2 weeks, and guess what- no allergies whatsoever. I’m home now and sick . I surf, and whenever I am on surf trips I experience no allergies whatsoever. The ocean air definitely helps.
I move to the Bay Area from New Jersey, and I have developed severe asthma which seems to be outdoor air-dependent. There seems to be no downtime in allergies in the Bay Area: something is always blooming/pollinating. Again, people are different. But after talking to several allergists I am coming to a conlusion that a climate with no winter is no good for allergics/asthmatics. Every time I travel out of CA (or go to the high sierra) I feel much better. I am moving out as soon as I can. I need a climate with a long, dry winter.
I live in Loisville, KY and I am sick of tne allergies.I have constant headaches,sinus pressure and swollen face all the time.
I want to find a State in the U.S with the least allergies known.
Can you help me to find a good place to enjoy life?
Does anyone know hard Bend Oregon is on allergy sufferers?
I’m on assignment in Bogota, Colombia and have been almost allergy free for the past 3.5 years.
I had a sinus cyst that does not show up in my CT scan anymore. Mu nasal voice is gone…even with my severely deviated septum.
It rains here, so humidity is not a factor. High altitude (2,600 meters) and cool weather (eternal spring) seem to keep offending pollen down. I think the fact that I’m not in and out of air conditioning has also helped.
I love it here, and I’m an ocean person!!
i live in chicago all my live also had asthma since i was 2years old and i moved to Puerto Rico for 1 year, that was the best time in my whole asthma live i only used my asthma meds 2 times and that was when i had my son there. and i loss so much weight there because i didn’t need any meds and i worked out without having a asthma attack but now i’m back in chicago and i was fine the 1st few weeks and now i’m back to my old ways always sick and useing all my meds again so does topical weather help with asthma?
Well, I live in Madison, WI and I have been suffering from chronic sinus for more that 10 year and now I have asthma too. This sucks. I am 53 and am sick all the time, so it seems with sinus infections that do not go away with any treatment. I miss too much work. I was thinking of a different climate too, but not sure where. I love the beaches and am not a country person. I do not want to leave the United States. That is not an option.
I know it is different for each person. As you get older, and still need to work, you just cannot pick up and move as you can when you are younger.
Frustrated in Wisconsin!
I feel there is no perfect place to live.
I find that it is helpful to take a drive away from your area on the weekends as it gives yur body a rest from the allergies that build up in your environment and area.
As far as the beach goes forget about it!
We moved to the beach because we thought it was the best for our asthma—
as it turns out we had 6 months of red tide which is the worst for asthma — it is actually dangerous for people with asthma and senior citizens,,, and the worst part is that it can come and go in a day or a week but you wont hear about it until it is for a month then it is in the news.
Yep, location does definetly matter. I lived in Maryland before for decades and then moved up north (western new york) for few year. My allergy issues totally disappeared. I even forgot I have allergy issues that I decided to move back after spending few years there. Once I moved back to MD, the allergy issues resureface in full force. MD is humid & hot in the summer. Somewhat cold in the winter but not quite wintery, so this mild winter condition keeps all the ofenders alive. Thus as mentioned above, areas with strong and long winter tend to clear up lots of the allergens and are suitable areas at least some of allergy sufferers.
We moved from NJ to Maine to breath the fresh air, live a simple life and be healthier. We are in Maine now, on the oceans edge with beauty all around us. WE moved in 4/2001 and now for two years I have been very ill. Turns out mold, dust mites are a big problem and I have developed asthma. It is peaceful, quiet, promising, untouched, good neighbors, calm atmosphere, yet I cannot enjoy it. So now what do I do. I lost sense of smell from all the sinus infections and am on a steriod to rid the brochial conditions.
Has anybody considered that maybe the air quality is even more important than humidity? I live in South Central PA and our air quality is terrible. I suffer from allergy problems as well as sinus problems. Throw severe arthritis in the mix and I have a real problem.
I live in Wisconsin and my allergies are driving me crazy!! On a scale from one to ten it is a 9 at times. My eyes itch like mad, along with the inside of my nostrils are itching and at night my nose is running whereby I go thru an entire box of kleenex and keep q-tips next to the bed to itch the inside of my ears!! I NEVER HAD allergy problems and i am in my 50′s and live in on acreage in the country and take daily hikes. All the grass, trees, mold, etc MUST be getting to me plus the humidity worsens the symptoms. God forbid I keep the a/c off or i’d be miserable…so the bills stay high to keep the air cond on all summer long. I used to live at 8,000 feet in the mountains and never had allergies. Possibly its because at higher elevation curtails “things like mold and spores” to flourish. I did spend 4 months at the beach on the West Coast and was very surprised and disappointed that I DID HAVE allergy symptoms, there, too. So…maybe I need to move to a city with little or null vegetation or back to the mountains?
I live in Washington state, my sinus infection have gotten worest since moving here from New Mexico, I cannot get rid of this infection plus my asthma has become a problem also.
I was born and raised in Illinois and my allergies started when I was in high school. My asthma developed during my senior year. Upon graduation, I moved to Washington, DC for college, but ended up living there for almost 11 years. During my DC stint, I had severe sinus problems that included infections and the worsening of my allergies. Whenever I go to Costa Rica (no matter what part of the country–the San Jose area or Guanacaste), I have CONSTANT problems with allergies and sinuses. However, when I did an internship in Cuzco, Peru (which is something like 12,000 feet above sea level if not higher), I had NO asthma problems (aside from huffing and puffing due to being out of shape and having to go up and down those steep hills) and definitely no sinus problems even though the air was so dry that my nose bled and ended up having to get a special nose gel from the pharmacy. But I did not have any sinus infections or anything. I drank coca tea the whole time I was there and at least 2 liters of water a day. Now that I am back in Illinois for the time being, my allergies are still bad and my sinuses give me a hard time. They aren’t as terrible as they were in DC and Costa Rica, but they are still a nuinsance.
Basically, drinking water definitely helps.
I’ve had allergies for awhile, however the past 4 years have been the worst. The S.F. bay area is not a place for allergy sufferers. There are so many varieties of plants/trees that grow here, if you don’t have an allergy to one type, you will to another.
Whenever I go to the mountains I feel much better, no sniffing, and asthma is almost non existent. I think it has a lot to do with the air quality here. There is way too much smog in this valley. I also read on a asthma website, allergic people should not live in valleys, because it holds in all the pollen and smog. They are so right.
I live in Atlanta, GA. I had an opportunity to visit Phoenix, AZ a few years ago and while I was there, I had NO sinus or allergy problems at all.
I live in long island , NY . I have itchy nose, and I sneeze a lot. I feel some times like if I had fever
with minor migraine. I noticed that these symptoms increase when I eat sweets(cookies, … etc)
I live in Florida,moved from Ohio.Allergies are much worse here,however,my wife and I go to Phoenix quite a bit and they seem no better there,but we are only there for 2 weeks,and may not be enough time to tell for certain.I have run the gamut of allergy testing,and the one fact that remains is as you grow older,your immunity decreases,so finding the perfect place may indeed change with age.Whats good for one,is bad for another and it appears there is no pat answer as to where to live.Im allergic to 30 out of the 36 items tested.Some people may also find they are allergic to their pets and not know it.My advice is to get allergy tested,not necessarily go through the immune program,but at least you will know what to try and avoid.If shots help,by all means do that,but alot of minor allergies can cause the same reactions as one potent one(in my case).So I cannot avoid all the things I am allergic to,I can just do the best I can
Hello. I’ve had allergies all my life. I’m now 45 and still have major sinus problems. I live in Michigan so basically I’m surrounded by water. It’s very humid here in the summer and very dry in the winter. Doesn’t matter what season here, it sucks. Mold is my worst enemy and if I remember correctly, was allergic to all but 1 mold that I was tested for as a child. I then had allergy shots for years as a child and my body built up a toxicity to them and put me in the hospital. No more of that. Basically I just do OTC stuff and suffer through it. When I get a sinus infection, I call my doctor and she calls in a script for me. She knows my sinus patterns well.
I sure wish there was this magical place where we allergy sufferers could go and live without feeling like crap all the time.
Does anyone else feel like a walking barometer too? Based on my headaches and the amount of pressure I feel, I can always tell when the weather is changing. I don’t want to be a barometer anymore.
Hi! everyone… I live in Salem Oregon.
And I have really bad allergy.
Can anyone tell me what state have dry place.. so I could move.
thanks…
Based on the replies written,iit looks like only allergy sufferers are reading this.You won’t get comments from anyone in “good” places since they are not suffering from allergies and won’t look up this site. I tried to figure out which states are not discussed here at all and deduced this is where people without allergies are living. Here are some ideas:
Iowa, Arkansas, Kansas, South Dakota,North Dakota,Minnesota, Montana. These states are never mentioned and may be providing relief to people. I currently have a sinus infection from mold and it got worse in S.Carolina due to dampness and I was near the coast. Making your own salt water and irrigating your nose and throat is a big help, but tastes bad. Allergies build up to a threshold and then turn into infection. Your enviornment contains many culprits but when you reach your “max limit” you get a full blown attack of asthma or a sinus infection. Minimize your current environment indoors, declutter spaces, damp mop ledges, floors, blinds. No drapes, wash bedding often in hot water,buy new cheap pillows often, no feathers,remove papers and magazines, nicknacks. Alot of relief can be had in making small improvements in your home and work spaces.
[Response from AllergyNurse: Mary, thank you for taking time to research this. But while the states you've listed may not be mentioned in this post, allergies have been reported in every state in the US. I live in Arkansas, and we rank high for allergies. As an allergy nurse, I have given thousands of allergy shots in Arkansas through the years. You can check states by location in the sidebar, as well as by typing the name of a state into the search box. You'll find that no state is exempt from allergies but, depending on your allergy, you may find relief in a different climate.]