15 Worst Cities for Allergies

I'm sure we all have our pick for the "worst city for allergies". It could be the city you live in or have lived in. I'd also guess the names on this list vary from time to time.

For instance, about 10 years ago me and my husband (heretofore known as "Tall & Handsome" or "T & H") were living in Knoxville, Tennessee not too far from the place where I was born. I was excited to get to spend some time back where I came from.

Well, was I in for a big surprise. That was one of the sickest two and half year stretches of my life which included a brush with death. But, allergies? OMG!

I have allergies to begin with (no cats!) and others, some "non-specific" which is doctor speak for hard to peg. But, what I went through in Knoxville was like body and autoimmune torture and I believe to this day put my body into a "slippery slope" that never recovered 100%.

At the time a co-worker of Tall & Handsome's mentioned Knoxville was one of the worst cities for allergies and a lot of the residents lived with chronic sinus issues. 

I looked Knoxville up and sure enough at the time it did make a few "worst" lists for allergies. According to the long time resident talking to T & H it was because Knoxville sits in a valley and smog, smoke and other impurities from coal mines, factories and other places funnel down the Blue Ridge Mountains, the Great Smoky Mountains and the Appalachians and dump on top of Knoxville. How accurate that is, I don't know.

I just know my experience, and I know there was also a problem with black mold. The house we were in at the time was a petri dish of black mold.  Not the best conditions for someone with allergies and autoimmune disorders.

So, what are currently considered the worst cities for allergies? They are:

1. Richmond, Virginia
2. Memphis, Tennessee
3. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
4. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
5. Chattanooga, Tennesee
6. Chicago, Illinois
7. Detroit, Michigan
8. New Haven, Connecticut
9. Allentown, Pennsylvania
10. Atlanta, Georgia
11. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
12. Louisville, Kentucky
13. Springfield, Massachusetts
14. Milwaukee, Wisconsin
15. Dayton, Ohio

I'd venture to say if you live near one of these cities you could count yourself "in" with the rest of the suffering folk.

So, is there anything you can do to ease your discomfort? Well, there are some steps, and there's an article that covers why these cities are so bad for allergies and what you can do. For an in depth look, you can read here.

But, to touch lightly, here are some preventive measures you can take during allergy season:

1. Keep your windows closed to obviously keep pollen and other pollutants out.
2. Keep your home dusted and clean. If you can afford it, hire someone to clean for you.
3. Use a mattress cover. Vinyl is recommended, but if you're like me, that's like sleeping on a roll of plastic wrap and creates crinkly, sleepless night. So, a catch - 22 there.
4. Another catch - 22 for those of us with Sjogren's syndrome is the use of a dehumidifier. Using one reduces humidity, thus reducing the number of dust mites. But, Sjogren's patients usually need to use humidifiers to add moisture to the air because of our dry eyes and dry mouth.
5. You can get some relief with over the counter (OTC) antihistamines. In addition, just recently Flonase has been made available OTC. I have used this nasal spray for years and I don't know what I would do without it. It's also available in generic form which I get by prescription. Flonase basically attacks on all fronts allergy symptoms that would take several other medications to do. It's in the corticosteroid class of drugs.

 When all else fails, consult your doctor.
 Just remember, before you know it, allergy season will be over, and we'll be facing another cold winter.

© 2015 Beverly Hicks Burch All Rights Reserved.

 




  

What Is Sjogren's Syndrome?

Yesterday I mentioned I would write more about Sjogren's syndrome. 

To kick start the subject, I'm sure you're asking what a lot of people ask me when I tell them I have Sjogren's (SS). Basically SS is a systemic autoimmune disorder that affects the whole body and can cause dysfunction in major organs in the body. 

Hallmark, or benchmark, symptoms are dry eyes, dry mouth, fatigue and joint pain. But, don't be deceived into thinking this is a "harmless" disorder. Just the dry eyes and dry mouth alone can have devastating results. Your eyes can develop ulcers, need silicon plugs to prevent tear loss and go through various changes. Dry mouth can wreck havoc on your teeth causing loss of teeth and tooth decay. Even restorative dental work like crowns can develop cavities! More women than men contract SS, but men are not impervious to SS.

Some of the other areas affected are:

• lungs
• gastrointestinal system
• kidneys
• blood vessels
• and your central nervous system

This is a small list of places in your body SS can affect.

It's a few days late, but every year April is considered Sjogren's Syndrome Awareness month. The Sjogren's Syndrome Foundation has done an excellent job for years in education, raising awareness, encouraging research and offering support.

Today's resources are links to the Sjogren's Syndrome Foundation; their "About SS page"; and symptoms page.

Bookmark this website and spend as much time as you can learning all you can about SS. It will be well worth your time and the pay off will be better health care management for you.

© 2015 Beverly Hicks Burch All Rights Reserved.
 

Red Flags: I Feel Bad, But Don't Know What's Wrong - Could it Be Autoimmune Disorders?

Yesterday in my introduction I listed my condensed "laundry" list of ailments and disorders I battle and deal with on a daily basis. The list includes autoimmune disorders.

So, today we're going to take look at autoimmune disorders. The one I first began to deal with is called Sjogren's Syndrome. I'll write more about Sjogren's over time, but today were looking at the autoimmune phenomenon in general.

It's hard for a lot of people to understand and frankly, when you're first diagnosed, it may be hard to wrap your own head around what "autoimmune" means.

I was sick for a very long time before I was diagnosed, but had I known then what I know now I might have received treatment earlier and avoided a lot of confusion and pain.

Basically know this: 

• autoimmune disorders mean your body is attacking itself and killing parts of itself
• there are red flags that will give you indications you could be dealing with an autoimmune disorder
• you can't cure an autoimmune disorder, but you can try to manage it
• they tend to cluster - or if you develop one, you'll probably develop others
• and, they tend to cluster in families

Today I want to provide you with a link to an article called 6 Signs You Have An Autoimmune Disease.  This is one of the easiest to read, helpful articles on the subject I've read in a long time. It just lays the facts down for you in easy to understand language. 

If you or a family member or loved one deals with an autoimmune disorder, or is facing a new diagnosis with one, please, please read this article. It will begin to take the scary and mystery out of autoimmune.

© 2015 Beverly Hicks Burch All Rights Reserved.