One more question: Allergies (Tucson: insurance, home, living in)

[JillBoBill]

I don't know about other people ... But I have THE WORST allergies in the whole world in North Carolina. I am allergic to the entire Eastern half of the continent, I've decided, but NC takes the Gigantic Cake of Miserableness. I haven't been able to smell anything in over TWO YEARS. We visited CA a few months ago and I almost cried in the middle of a grocery store because I could smell the cardboard boxes the cereal was packed in. I could smell flowers and people's BO and the exhaust from the cars - it was amazing. Then I got on the plane (still smelling) and got back off in NC and... That was it. Back to not smelling anything. I wish I was exaggerating, seriously. Let's not even get into talking about how hard it is to drive while you're marathon sneezing.

So, how is Tucson for allergies? Do you suffer horribly? Are some seasons worse than others? I'm running on the idea that desert = dry = lower plant population = better.

[mdtoaz]

I have pretty bad allergies... When I got allergy tested back in Maryland, the nurse joked that I should live in a bubble.

They're definitely better here, than in Maryland, but they haven't gone away completely. There is a surprising amount of pollen in the spring. And, it's not pollen you're used to, so don't expect to be completely sniffle free.

The bigger problem is my sinuses. It is so dry that I get a lot of nose bleeds - mainly when I blow my nose. Lovely, I know. During monsoon season, it's not as bad because there's some moisture in the air. I recommend getting a humidifier, or at least using saline nasal spray if your sinuses give you trouble.

[sierraAZ]

Originally Posted by JillBoBill

So, how is Tucson for allergies? Do you suffer horribly? Are some seasons worse than others? I'm running on the idea that desert = dry = lower plant population = better.

I don't have allergies, but judging by the constant sneezing, coughing, and swollen eyes of many of my coworkers, it can't be very good...

[veuvegirl]

You will never know until you live there IMO. I had horrible allergies while living in Tucson. Took a cocktail of drugs just to function. I moved to NJ and my allergies cleared, I was in heaven. Then after two years, they started up again. And BOOM cocktail of meds again in order to breathe...

[azhiker]

Jill,

I can relate. I've lived all up and down the east coast, and N. Carolina and Maryland were the worst for me.

There are things growing around here that bother my allergies too, but not as severe, and the season doesn't last as long. In the spring, the Palo Verde trees cause me some itchy eyes and runny nose, but nothing an antihistamine can't deal with.

I also have chronic sinus problems (tend to get sinus infections in high humidity) that are greatly helped by the dry weather here.

Bottom line, you're likely to still have some pollen allergy issues here, but not remotely like back east, and you pretty much don't have to worry about mold allergies here.

[Marcy1210]

My son has allergies and asthma which are somewhat bad here in Colorado in the spring (May) and fall (September) , but when every winter we're in Tucson, they are worse as the blooming things start blooming in February and March and keep going through late fall, whereas they're still frozen here. For the first time in his life, he was prescribed an inhaler, and he had to take heavy duty prescription allergy meds, where Benadryl worked at home in Colorado. So, for him, his allergies were severely worse and he's been going to Tucson since he was 4 and he's 19 now. When he comes back from Tucson, his allergies clear right up.

[JillBoBill]

I'm surprised at how many of you say you take loads of allergy medicines. Nothing works for me - it's all just a big waste of money. Maybe I'm just tougher than you guys

[veuvegirl]

Originally Posted by JillBoBill

I'm surprised at how many of you say you take loads of allergy medicines. Nothing works for me - it's all just a big waste of money. Maybe I'm just tougher than you guys

Or maybe you don't have the correct cocktail.... it took me a few tries before I found out what worked. And trust me, I tried to go off the meds, I was a mess. Couldn't breathe, couldn't see, with snot dripping non stop out my nose. Not a pretty picture.

[JillBoBill]

Originally Posted by veuvegirl

Couldn't breathe, couldn't see, with snot dripping non stop out my nose. Not a pretty picture.

Oh, believe me, I know. I wake up sneezing at four, five, six in the morning most of the time. I'm just not keen on dumping hundred and hundreds of dollars into pills. Especially when, like so many people, I don't have a drop of medical insurance.

I did get some free samples of Veramyst once and that seemed to work sort of, kind of, some of the time. Maybe. :/

[nitram]

Moving to AZ is not going to cure your allergy reactions. You'll just develop a whole new set of symptoms.
You need to see an allergy specialist or a ENT (Ear, Nose & Throat) specialist to find out exactly what you may or may not be allergic to. You may have a fungus problem or some other problem not even related to allergies.
I've been in AZ over 40 years, developed allergies to almost all native and non native plants. Also allergic to many food products ie. corn, strawberries, peppers, plus the ink in some newsprint. Shots and meds did nothing to help. Ended up with 3 septoplasty surgeries. They helped for awhile. Doc recommended a moister area as the dry desert area only acerbates the problems.
If you plan to move here, try out the area for about 6 months or even a 4 season stint to see what happens before you make a permanent committment.