For reference: Allergy/Asthma Information on Austin, TX (Atlanta: allergies, living)

[Julester]

Hi everyone! Since I've gained so much out of this forum, it's probably best that I give something back too. Just thought I would post some helpful information related to allergies/asthma, as I am a sufferer of both and am considering relocation. Austin used to rank horribly in terms of allergies/asthma on the listings, but for whatever reason it's gotten better (?? not sure why, maybe those living there can shed some light, or it's just the fault of these weird listings). This year Austin ranks #47 on the 2007 Asthma Capital List (I believe Austin was no. 27 in previous years). Anywho, for some additional information, feel free to check out these two resources:

The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America
http://www.aafa.org/

2007 Asthma Capitals List, which includes Austin at no. 47: (found within the above site)
http://aafa.org/pdfs/FinalPublicList_AC_2007.pdf

FYI, for 2007, here are the top 10 asthma capital list:
1. Atlanta, GA
2. Philadelphia, PA
3. Raleigh, NC
4. Knoxville, TN
5. Harrisburg, PA
6. Grand Rapids, MI (Ok, I'm from MI, and I can honestly say that all of MI is terrible!)
7. Milwaukee, WI
8. Greensboro, NC
9. Scranton, PA
10. Little Rock, AR

For the 2007 ranking, Austin ranked poor in pollens and air quality, but average or better than average in other scoring areas (i.e. estimated asthma prevalence, etc.).

Best, Julie

[gigi927]

Good info...when I checked into allergy isses a year ago (my husband suffers) I found a lot of conflicting information. Some sources continue to rate Austin as a top 10 allergic city; others rank it much lower, as the article you referenced did.

My conclusion on the issue is that if you are allergic to the prevalent allergens in Austin, then it feels like a highly allergic city, and if you aren't, then it probably seems like an improvement over elsewhere. My husband is highly allergic to the palo verde tree - he suffered terribly in AZ, but so far here he's doing much better. They say it can take 5-10 years to develop allergies, so he's not exactly out of the clear, but he's willing to take that risk here if it means even 2 or 3 years of allergy free living!

Keep in mind that the big allergen everyone talks about here is cedar. Cedar season is this time of year and can be very debilitating. You may want to investigate that particular topic more - if you Google "cedar fever" you'll get tons of info.

[austin-steve]

I moved to Austin in 1985 and it wasn't until the late 90's that I started suffering from allergy symptons in a noticable way. My allergy doctor (Dr. Painter) said this is not uncommon - the delayed onset for newcomers.

This season is the first season where I've regularly gone and had my allergy shots, about once a week, and I'm doing much, much better than usual. If fact, I'm doing really well. The shots are $20 each, but my sanity and well being are worth it.

In the past, allergy symptoms have rendered me functionally useless as I would get so clogged I couldn't talk on the phone. A couple of times I've had to go get the cortizone shots for relief, but that's not something one can do each year as it's not good for your system.

Steve

[jread]

I lived in Austin for 4-years before I had any allergy problems, then the Cedar finally made a victim out of me. I have no other outdoor allergies, though, but the cedar makes up for it during the winter. "Cedar Fever" is the only allergy I've ever experienced that truly makes you feel about half-dead. Luckily I haven't gotten it yet this year, but I sneeze uncontrollably for about the first 20-minutes every morning. This will soon go away, though, once cedar season is over.