I developed allergies in my early twenties. I lived in Northeastern Ohio for a few years and was miserable (grass mostly). Northern California was horrible as soon as the grass began to flower. Couldn’t breathe in Portland. Thought I was going to die in Vancouver,BC. Started to develop asthma.

The only thing that helped anywhere was air conditioning. I was also told about chewing local honeycomb (spit out the wax) starting about a month before pollen season begins. This actually worked for everything except the grass (bees don’t go for grass I guess :o(

Makes sense. The pollen is in the honey and by eating the local kind, one slowly assimilates the local pollen. But what to do about grass?

I’m on Maui now. Different grasses but the Waddle trees here leave enough pollen to coat a house! Shorter season than grass though, and not quite as bad. Cost of living here is killing me instead!

Still looking for comfort. I’m considering Arizona. Any comments??? — BGS, Hawaii

From California to Ontario, New York, and Florida, ragweed seems to have made it’s debut early and with a bumper crop this August.

Lansing, Michigan:
Worst summer for allergies in decades
“The pollen count is…the highest it’s been in fifty years…. Ragweed everywhere and no relief in sight.” [WLNS, Lansing]

Los Angeles, California
Bumper crop of ragweed kicks off allergy season
“Summer rains followed by hot, dry temperatures in many areas have produced a bumper crop of ragweed.” [NBC4, Los Angeles]

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania:
Break out of the mold
“A particularly bad year for mold spores and an accelerating ragweed season are giving them itchy eyes and runny noses.” [Pittsburgh Tribune-Review]

Ontario, Canada
Achoo! Ragweed arrives early
“Ragweed has made her a prisoner in her own house…. ‘It was July 30 when it started and it hasn’t stopped.’” [Hamilton Spectator, Ontario Canada]

Washington, DC
Ragweed arrives early in district
“If you’re an allergy sufferer who is feeling a little off this morning in that allergy-related kind of way, you can thank ragweed season for arriving two weeks early.” [DCist, Washington, DC]

Little Rock, Arkansas
Heat, humidity fueling hay fever
“Doctors say an increase in pollen, ragweed, and mold is creating more cases of hay fever.” [Today’s THV, Little Rock, Arkansas]

Tampa Bay/St. Petersburg, Florida
Ragweed season starting up for allergy sufferers
“Ragweed season is upon us…. And this year, people may suffer more than ever.” [WTSB, Tampa/St. Petersburg, Florida]

New York City, NY
Ways to cope with a brutal allergy season
“Allergy sufferers, the early predictions are in and get ready for an especially brutal fall season.” [WABC-TV, New York]