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I do realize people who have allergies and asthma can have very different triggers, but I was curious if anyone here who has asthma and has lived in different regions of the U.S. how the different climates and environments affected you, and if you did move somewhere that aggravated your asthma, did you adjust or find any solutions?
I'm born and raised in So. Cal, and my asthma is considered relatively mild. I have the most problems when I get sick or a sinus infection. The Santa Ana winds can stir up trouble sometimes though.
I had always heard that the desert like in Arizona was good for asthmatics, but when I visited relatives in Phoenix, my throat started itching 20 miles before we even got there, and had to hit the Benydral. (on top of my daily Loratadine)
I've driven through Oregon and Washington and never breathed better, but I haven't been there in the dead of winter after it's been drizzling for months. I also did well in England while visiting on several occasions (where my husband is from) and it was raining a lot.
Visited Houston and New Orleans last spring, but I'd be nervous to visit in the worst part of summer heat and humidity. My uncle keeps trying to talk us into moving that way!
Just wondering; sometimes my husband and I talk about moving out of California. I'd probably want to avoid the worst places for asthma, but I don't want it to keep me from trying someplace new.
BTW, I have Googled stuff like "best places to live with asthma" and have gotten some good info, but would love to hear from real live people who've actually experienced it.
Thanks in advance...
The dead of winter in Oregon isn't bad especially if you were in eastern Oregon. But in the spring, especially in the Willamette Valley, Oregon lives up to its name of "Allergy Capital of the USA." That's when the grass goes to seed and people with allergies suffer a great deal. Mold is also a big problem as well as Scotch Broom and other flora. On the whole, Oregon is a bad place for allergy sufferers. Just driving through isn't going to tell you much.
I always suggest to people if they already suffer from allergies or asthma and they are contemplating a move to Oregon, ask you doctor for a NW allergy testing panel. It consists of all of the many allergens common to Oregon that people are allergic to. That way you can determine if they might be a problem for you. If your doctor is not familiar with this, you can Google it and show it to him or her.
I do realize people who have allergies and asthma can have very different triggers, but I was curious if anyone here who has asthma and has lived in different regions of the U.S. how the different climates and environments affected you, and if you did move somewhere that aggravated your asthma, did you adjust or find any solutions?
I'm born and raised in So. Cal, and my asthma is considered relatively mild. I have the most problems when I get sick or a sinus infection. The Santa Ana winds can stir up trouble sometimes though.
I had always heard that the desert like in Arizona was good for asthmatics, but when I visited relatives in Phoenix, my throat started itching 20 miles before we even got there, and had to hit the Benydral. (on top of my daily Loratadine)
I've driven through Oregon and Washington and never breathed better, but I haven't been there in the dead of winter after it's been drizzling for months. I also did well in England while visiting on several occasions (where my husband is from) and it was raining a lot.
Visited Houston and New Orleans last spring, but I'd be nervous to visit in the worst part of summer heat and humidity. My uncle keeps trying to talk us into moving that way!
Just wondering; sometimes my husband and I talk about moving out of California. I'd probably want to avoid the worst places for asthma, but I don't want it to keep me from trying someplace new.
BTW, I have Googled stuff like "best places to live with asthma" and have gotten some good info, but would love to hear from real live people who've actually experienced it.
Thanks in advance...
Everyone seemingly has different triggers for asthma and mine are dirty air, cold weather and high altitude. I live in Florida which is where I do best of all the places I have lived or visited. The only times I ever have issues is when it gets cold here (few weeks in January/February), otherwise not so much outside random episodes if I'm suffering with stuffy sinuses. Overall Florida has some of the best air quality of any places in the country, thanks to being a peninsula with alternating prevailing winds off the water. Humidity isn't an issue for most in Florida since little time is spent outdoors when the humidity is really high. Homes/Businesses are all climate-controlled which keeps indoor humidity at comfortable levels for most.
I've dealt with severe asthma for well over a decade, and lived in CO, OK and TX. It's well-controlled on meds but I can still tell the difference. Colorado was the best, especially during the long winter when everything was dead. Houston was not as bad as you'd think, it's definitely the worst here in Austin- the omnipresent cedar particularly really aggravates it. And since there's no hard freeze... but really there is no difference in QOL or daily life in general due to the beauty of modern medicine!
Minervah: I remember hearing about Eugene, Ore. and when we were driving down the 5 believe it or not, I felt it! Mostly I felt it in my eyes... they really water when I'm exposed to stuff, then I start getting a little wheezy.
Thanks for the tip on "NW allergy testing". That would be real interesting. My husband (who's from England and feels right at home in the rain and cloudy skies) really loved Seattle. I would be concerned too about the mold... besides cleaning are there any tips to keep mold under control inside the home? Do you use a dehumidifier for instance? Is the mold just floating around in the air during winter if you take a walk or bike ride?
Kyle: There were a few places in Florida that made the top 10 good places for asthmatics according to one article I read. (BTW, Seattle made the list too) I was really surprised, because I always think of Florida as so hot and muggy, but the clean air as you described would be very beneficial! Is where you live less hot and humid than Houston or New Orleans?
BTW, air pollution doesn't agree with me either!
If you are an Allergy sufferer I an tell you to stay far far away from the Southeast, especially in the Spring. Winter isn't terribly bad. But from Late february through June it is the worst. The states are very green and very warm so just about everything can grow. I'd say the stretch from Northern Alabama through Georgia up through the Carolinas to DC is horrid!
I visted Phoenix twice and both times my allergies abated somewhat but still aggravated me some. And in the Northwest Seattle/Vancouver at least in June I like someone else stated I have never breathed freer. The air was splendid and sweet! Southern California wasnt bad a bit dusty at times but not bad.
Minervah: I remember hearing about Eugene, Ore. and when we were driving down the 5 believe it or not, I felt it! Mostly I felt it in my eyes... they really water when I'm exposed to stuff, then I start getting a little wheezy.
Thanks for the tip on "NW allergy testing". That would be real interesting. My husband (who's from England and feels right at home in the rain and cloudy skies) really loved Seattle. I would be concerned too about the mold... besides cleaning are there any tips to keep mold under control inside the home? Do you use a dehumidifier for instance? Is the mold just floating around in the air during winter if you take a walk or bike ride?
Kyle: There were a few places in Florida that made the top 10 good places for asthmatics according to one article I read. (BTW, Seattle made the list too) I was really surprised, because I always think of Florida as so hot and muggy, but the clean air as you described would be very beneficial! Is where you live less hot and humid than Houston or New Orleans?
BTW, air pollution doesn't agree with me either!
Cheers!
Many people do use dehumidifiers especially if they live in older houses. The continual rain promotes continual damp. It's a problem I have since I have developed asthma living in Portland. As for cleaning, again, older homes encourage mold. If that begins to be a problem, a solution of bleach and water can do the trick to getting rid of it depending upon where it is. There are commercial removers as well. I haven't had this problems indoors but some have. You can look on the Oregon forum for some tips on this.
That's for indoors. The mold must be outdoors since I test pretty high for it and it's not indoors. For me though I think it's the pollen both spring and fall that really gets me probably as much as the the mold. I have just become very allergic over the years. I think though that Eugene has more allergens than Portland.
But everyone is going to be different when it comes to allergies.
I've dealt with severe asthma for well over a decade, and lived in CO, OK and TX. It's well-controlled on meds but I can still tell the difference. Colorado was the best, especially during the long winter when everything was dead. Houston was not as bad as you'd think, it's definitely the worst here in Austin- the omnipresent cedar particularly really aggravates it. And since there's no hard freeze... but really there is no difference in QOL or daily life in general due to the beauty of modern medicine!
We certainly are blessed to be living in these modern times for sure!
BTW, I hear the humidity in Houston is like a hot steam bath that makes it hard to breath! Is this an exaggeration? Did it ever get to you?
Seems the downtown area found a fun way to deal with the heat making all those tunnels underneath the buildings with restaurants and shops etc. Very clever! (especially workable since no earthquakes to worry about!)
If you are an Allergy sufferer I an tell you to stay far far away from the Southeast, especially in the Spring. Winter isn't terribly bad. But from Late february through June it is the worst. The states are very green and very warm so just about everything can grow. I'd say the stretch from Northern Alabama through Georgia up through the Carolinas to DC is horrid!
Are there a lot of oak trees there? The strongest reactions in my test was to oak trees and grass.
And in the Northwest Seattle/Vancouver at least in June I like someone else stated I have never breathed freer.
Yeah, that was me... (OP) we were in the PNW for a 10 day road trip end of May, early June. Went up the Oregon Coast then around the Olympic Peninsula and on to Seattle. We experienced a variety of weather during our trip from some rain (including some on and off as we were hiking in the rain forests, which was so fun and beautiful!) some cloudy and partly cloudy and then a few days of as our B&B hostess put it "some unseasonably warm weather" as she apologized for having no air conditioner on our 3rd story room!
Seriously, my lungs were happy the whole time there! As mentioned, only felt some issues coming on when we were merely driving though the Eugene area. Heck I didn't even feel anything in Portland, (and we took a long bike ride along the waterfront there) which isn't even that far from Eugene.
When we got to Grants Pass for a river boat ride, I was fine again! What in the world is in Eugene!! LOL!
I'll have to investigate what's brewing over there so I know to avoid it!
Kyle: There were a few places in Florida that made the top 10 good places for asthmatics according to one article I read. (BTW, Seattle made the list too) I was really surprised, because I always think of Florida as so hot and muggy, but the clean air as you described would be very beneficial! Is where you live less hot and humid than Houston or New Orleans?
BTW, air pollution doesn't agree with me either!
Cheers!
Florida is hot and muggy from June through September typically, pretty much like the rest of the country.
In fact Philadelphia (where I lived for 8 years prior to moving back 2 years ago), was hotter or as hot on average in June and July as it is here in Central Florida and with a similar level of humidity. Since 99% of the homes here have central A/C it helps considerably as they have filtration (mine has a HEPA filter) versus window units found in much of the country. It is less humid in my opinion than either New Orleans or Houston both of which I find quite oppressive. Coastal areas (within a mile of the Atlantic or Gulf) are the way to go as the breeze off the water has a cooling effect (like sitting under a ceiling fan) even though the humidity level might be the same as interior locations.
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