Allergies in Portland/Vancouver? (university, live in, mold)

[sinkitten]

I am wondering what anyones experience is with transplanting to this area? I am originally from the Bay Area of CA. I have terrible Asthma and allergies. I moved to NY and about died in the sweltering humidity. I then moved to CO and the altitude is making my breathing worse than allergies or humidity even combined. I am wondering how Portland/Vancouver is because the housing market is more realistic than SF or the Napa Valley where I am from.

Any experiences please let me know. Thank you!

[lovethegreen]

My first year here was relatively okay - I do have mold and dust mite allergies so particularly the mold is more an issue here with the dampness. But in the last three weeks some new and insane thing is blooming that I didn't have much problem with last summer which has led to lots of eye allergy symptoms for me. It's been a much drier and hotter summer this year than last so I suspect that gave a boost to whatever it is. Still, it's individual. My best suggestion is to get a list from your allergist of what you are allergic to and call up an allergist's office here and see if they would be willing to compare them for you. Good luck!

[Merkin_Ball]

Originally Posted by sinkitten

I am wondering what anyones experience is with transplanting to this area? I am originally from the Bay Area of CA. I have terrible Asthma and allergies. I moved to NY and about died in the sweltering humidity. I then moved to CO and the altitude is making my breathing worse than allergies or humidity even combined. I am wondering how Portland/Vancouver is because the housing market is more realistic than SF or the Napa Valley where I am from.

Any experiences please let me know. Thank you!

Hate to bring this to ya, but Oregon, specifically the Willamette valley, leads the WORLD in air-borne allergens. It is mostly because the Valley is the largest grass seed producer. Portland/Vancouver is 100% not the place for a person with allergies! On the upside, the allergies are only here for about 3-4 months of the year. Ironically, this is also when Oregon in most beautiful-IMO. You may want to look at eastern Or/Wa, or even the Coast line. I recommend looking at Oregon State University's website for this stuff site (oregonstate.edu).

If you do move here, be sure to eat lots of locally grown honey, as it will help you build an immune system to the pollen.

Good luck and let us know what you decide on and find out.
~M

[Bluesmama]

Merkin_Ball is correct. The Willamette Valley IS one of the worst places for allergens. However, many people ~ myself included ~ suffer allergies to mold spores throughout the rest of the year. Mine are not bad enough to require medicine but I always have "plugged sinuses". Still, it's tolerable, but it might not be for you.

The Oregon State website posted by Merkin_Ball is a great suggestion.

[Minervah]

The longer I live here the worse my allergies get but I suspect that would be happening anywhere. Grass is a big culprit, wood burning stoves and smoke from forest fires is another. The worst is mold spores brought on by the damp weather we have so much of. I have developed a really bad allergy to those to the point where I need to take an inhaler around with me.

If you already have any of these allergies, Porltand will probably not be a good place for you.

[juliempdx]

My husband has horrible allergies and asthma. So bad he is getting allergy shots and will have to complete a series of shots for 5 years. He had a lot of problems when we lived in Portland and it was even worse when we lived in Boise, ID. The native americans called the Willamette Valley "sick valley" because of how many allergens there are. We now live in Pittsburgh and his allergies are a lot better. Mold in particular was a big issue along with the grass pollens. Central Oregon can be a problem too in the spring. You will literally have an inch of pollen on your car from the pine trees and they have a lot of sage brush there too.

[SeattlitefromNC]

The worst allergies I've ever had in my life were had in the Willamette Valley!

I spent the summer in Portland. For two weeks, I couldn't breathe as I was in non-stop drip-and-sneeze mode.

Get allergy shots when you come here ... the place is lovely and the people are fantastic, but the allergies are just AWFUL.

[Mike DeRusha]

Before the idiots banned the field burning, the valley didn't have mold or so many problems with breathing.
The clean fire killed the bad stuff without the chemicals used today. So if you live here and have running sinuses all the time. Thank the fools who stopped the field burning. Anyone who has lived here since before 2000 knows the difference. It used to be much better.

[Yankeemama]

Originally Posted by Merkin_Ball

Hate to bring this to ya, but Oregon, specifically the Willamette valley, leads the WORLD in air-borne allergens. It is mostly because the Valley is the largest grass seed producer. Portland/Vancouver is 100% not the place for a person with allergies! On the upside, the allergies are only here for about 3-4 months of the year. Ironically, this is also when Oregon in most beautiful-IMO. You may want to look at eastern Or/Wa, or even the Coast line. I recommend looking at Oregon State University's website for this stuff site (oregonstate.edu).

If you do move here, be sure to eat lots of locally grown honey, as it will help you build an immune system to the pollen.

Good luck and let us know what you decide on and find out.
~M

Thanks for the info. I, too, am originally from S.F., have lived on the a East coast, but now suffer allergies. I usually stay indoors when the pollen count is high which is usually the prettiest days of the year. (Sigh)

[oregonwoodsmoke]

Originally Posted by Mike DeRusha

........Thank the fools who stopped the field burning. Anyone who has lived here since before 2000 knows the difference. It used to be much better.

I will thank them. Field burning used to be allowed only on days with eastern flowing winds so that the smoke wouldn't go into the cities of the Willamette. That meant that the smoke ended up in Central Oregon so we got to breath all the smoke all summer from the field burning in the Willamette.

I'm perfectly happy to no longer suffer smoke filled air all summer.