Outdoorsman from NJ with allergies in CA - is Fairbanks, AK better?
I used to be a competitive runner, cyclist, and nordic skier and used to be absolutely crazy about the outdoors. ~1 year after moving from NJ to CA I have started experiencing intermittent asthma symptoms, which eventually grew into full-blown asthma in a matter of a week when I got sick with a viral infection. I am now on 10 different medications, including 2 inhaled steroids. I have a great job, but my productivity at work has dropped ~3 times. The symptoms are essentially constant (chest conjestion, shortness of breath, sleep problems) and improve ~3 days after I travel out of California, and get much worse when exerting in CA outdoors. The symptoms are debilitating enough to freak me out, but not strong enough to kill me (which sometimes I dream of). I am allergic to essentially all trees, and, essentially, non-allergic to grass and weeds.
I understand that moving is always the last resort, but I am afraid that if I stay in CA any longer the inflammation in my lungs becomes irreversible. So at this point it’s a question of a life worth living.
Even though every area has its allergens, naturally, it seems that areas with less vegetation and a long “down” season would have less pollen. California, essentially, has no down season. I am therefore considering Fairbanks, AK. They have trees blooming in the spring, but the blooming seems to last for only a month. I could manage a month os symptoms, but I can’t stand the CA year-round nightmare
I guess, high desert also makes sense, but there are no jobs to be found in my specialty in these areas (I work in nanotechnology). Fairbanks has a research school which I could work at. — RCS, California
How was New Jersey for you? Would you consider moving back to New Jersey?
Comment by Gary — September 1, 2007 @ 1:50 pm
Also, what part of California are you from? I’ve read on this website that Orange County is a good place.
I live in the Ventura County/Oxnard area, and my allergies have gotten progressively worst over the last 3 years.
Comment by Gary — September 1, 2007 @ 2:12 pm
Have you tried the San Francisco Bay Area?
Comment by James — November 28, 2007 @ 6:07 pm
I have found that my allergy symptoms vanish for a couple of years when I relocate to a completely different
environment. Stress and what you eat has more to do with your symptoms than you might imagine.
Google which foods produce mucus. I found that chocolate brings on a waterfall of mucus, almost instantly.
Therefore you should change your diet as well as clean with a damp cotton rag daily. Wrap your mattress in a cover designed to reduce dust mites. Get a very good air cleaner for the space in which you sleep and spend most of your time.
Drop sugared foods and drinks, replace with water until you get your breathing under control better. Then add
sugar very sparingly on occasion.
Alaska may not have the same plants, but they might have more mold than you are accustomed to when the place starts thawing out. So….you should live in a selected option for a month in 4 seasons before you actually buy….if it is possible.
Google “best places to live with asthma” and you may be pleasantly surprised to find many lovely places…such as the high desert, southern California and Honolulu.
I found relief in Paris France for 3.5 years, then relief again when I moved to the NE corner of Illinois until recently. This is the third winter with allergy and asthma symptoms, so I’m looking to relocate again. I think you can find relief in a new location — for awhile.
Manpower is a great option to help you try out places to live well permanently. If you work for them full-time, I have heard that you can work in any city worldwide in which they have an office and job. Nanotechnology may be a challenge, but the skills could be transferred to something related.
Best of love and luck to you in your quest for optimum health.
Susan
Comment by Sue Maxwell — February 17, 2008 @ 9:14 pm
I read in a book that you need to expose to the allergen for five years before you will know whether you will be allergic to it or not. That means, at least to live in a place for five years. I just wonder where one can be tested for all the allergens in the US in advance ,so one will be able to decide where to re- locate to.
Comment by fwu — April 28, 2008 @ 9:29 pm