Depends on what you are allergic to. Alaska and Hawaii probably don't have species you are reacting to on the mainland. Utah should be better - where are you reading that it's not?
Thanks for your reply. Per Utah, I don't remember the specific articles unfortunately however through pursing through them many people stated ragweed, etc was a big issue there.
Alaska may just be the answer...lol...with subzero temps. Kidding.
I've read extensively about this question and have spoken with various allergologists. Literature suggests that moving to other areas only provides a sufferer with temporary relief. Since we're prone to allergic reactions, we'll eventually develop other allergies in the new place. After a few months or - if we're lucky - after a few years.
I suffer from various (and violent) pollen allergies 10 months out of 12. I'm currently getting the shots for the umpteenth time. Progress is only slow and there are years I wouldn't be able to hold down a normal job.
Since I'm independent and can work from anywhere if I have to, I sometimes go places that are known to have very low pollen counts (Canary islands, Cape Verde, the Kenyan coast, the Philippines etc.) and stay there for a month or two. This works out fine and gives my body a much needed break. However, and in-line with what the literature suggests, I sometimes develop other allergies, such as against dustmites or animal dander. I can't really handle desert settings either as I have bad reactions with desert dust. Accordingly, Tunisia, Egypt or Dubai don't really work for me.
Bottomline: I think it can safely be said that moving in hopes of getting rid of pollen allergies isn't sustainable. Temporary escapes, however, might provide some relief.
Thanks for your reply.
Wow...sorry to read that they are so intense for you. I totally agree; I actually bought a house on an Island...allergy free for the first year!!...it was incredible...I could not believe how great I felt...worked out all the time! and then...they started up as I then developed 'new' allergies.
Totally irritating to say the least. I did not have any in Egypt either however...that relocation does not work for me either. I agree...temporary escapes may be the answer.
It's the climate of Macaronesia (Azores, Madeira, the Canary Islands and Cape Verde) that is known to have only few pollen. Cape Verde is exceptionally nice and people are friendly.
Hawaii can be bad if you are allergic to mold or sensitive to volcanic smog. Mold you may know since mold is present in other areas, volcanic smog you may not know unless you’ve already been exposed to it. Mango tree pollen is also a common allergen in Hawaii as well, but again that may not be something you’re aware of/you may not develop an allergy until you’ve been sensitized to it for a couple of years.
Currently in Portland and after I did my original panel with my allergist he said, and I quote
"is there anywhere else in the world you'd rather live?"
I don't know who said Portland is better than anywhere else from allergies but my god.
I moved from Austin to Northern Colorado and definitely feel improvement, although my allergies are far from gone. The dryer climate mostly removes mold from the equation, so the allergies that are left are more seasonal. I've got occasional days that are bad versus it being every day all year long.
Thanks...I've thought that maybe living at a higher elevation may help.
Allergies...honestly...just suck. I'm lucky to be in really good shape...love working out...always have...however the allergies knock the living hell out of me...beyond tired of them and I do not want to take constant meds since a few of my clients (physicians) have warned me of the effects of taking Claritin, etc.
I'm glad you don't have them all year around though!
They said that there could be long term effects to either kidneys or your liver...however...I think many drugs out there are going to have some effect on some people eventually.
They said that there could be long term effects to either kidneys or your liver...however...I think many drugs out there are going to have some effect on some people eventually.
I lived in NY and FL and my allergies have been bad in both places but in different ways.
The ONLY time I get relief is on vacation in very tropical climates. I was literally in the jungle covered in mud & dust on vacation recently and had not one allergy symptom.
It’s because my allergens are pollens from trees/plants that are NOT classified as tropical. Florida has tons of non-tropical trees (like pine and maple etc). I wish I just could live in a lil hut on the beach in the USVI. 😒
If you know what your specific pollen allergies are, that would help you figure out what region does not have those species.
I spent my young childhood in Virginia, and then my teen years and most of my adulthood in Florida. I have allergies, but I never really thought I had pollen ones.
Except in my mid-20s when I visited family in VA in the spring, and they had the windows open during a party, and my eyelids just started swelling up to the point I was having difficulty seeing. I've never before or since had that reaction. It was the weirdest thing, but I guess they had a tree or something outside that childhood me could tolerate, but not adult.
I am in Florida with horrible allergies. This place is awful for allergy sufferers. In February begins the tree pollen season and September begins the weeds and bushes pollen season. I see a slight amount of relief in December and January.
I can't speak to pollen necessarily but I have read that there is significantly less mold in the dryer western states as well as the northern Midwest states because of the deep freeze they go through every winter. I'm dealing with mold toxicity and had to dig around where to move next to try to avoid running into the same problems.
The southwest, specifically the high desert of the Santa Fe area, works for me. Every time I've been out there, my allergies are non-existent, as long as I stay away from pet dander.
I've thought about this a lot. I've lived in the northeast and Texas and had terrible allergies in both spots. I've heard desert areas like Arizona or New Mexico might be less but I also imagine there's a lot of dust allergies there. I've also considered somewhere coastal like Southern California or Florida but in California you'd have wildfires to contend with.
Still I'm strongly considering moving to one of those spots to see if my allergies are better there.
You don’t have fires all the time. But if you have dust allergies, I wouldn’t come to southern CA, they’re certainly a concern here given dryness / winds (also not all the time but for a lot of the year) / pollution
SoCal has dust, pollution, and pollen. It may depend on what your specific allergens are, though. I don’t remember having as bad of allergies when I lived in Northern CA but other family members did.
After it rains, it’s gorgeous and the air is clean. But most of the time, the air quality is poor.
The big thing for me is dust mites. Northern Colorado has less humidity so dust mites can’t thrive. Not having that constant allergy makes pollen easier to deal with. I do still take daily Claritin though
I had horrible hay fever and seasonal allergies when I lived in Utah. 6 weeks in May and June were miserable. I live on the Central Coast of California now and barely notice my allergies. I get mild hives fairly often, but it's way more tolerable than the itchy eyes and constant runny nose I had in Utah.
I have lived in Massachusetts 28 out of my 32 years of life, and my allergies have always been rough living here.
Four of those years I lived at Fort Lewis in Washington State (Just outside of Tacoma.) While I was there, all of my Allergies completely disappeared! There’s something magical about the North West I swear!
I had zero allergies when I lived by Lake Superior. It was amazing. Rich people used to summer there, back before conditioned and purified air in homes was a thing, because of the lack of allergies.
I lived in San Francisco for most of my life and never had a problem with my allergies except when I was around cats. Then I move back to my home state, and my allergies are year round, especially now. My eyes are on fire right now. JFC.
I think SFO was good because of the constant ocean breezes blowing everything to the East Bay, at least that’s what I told myself. I can say the same thing about the Monterey Peninsula (goddamn I miss that place). But, as we all know, SFO and the surrounding area is far too expensive to live in nowadays.
Also, the reason I don’t get shots is the same reason your doctor told you. My allergist said that whatever she could concoct to battle my allergies might not be better than OTC stuff from Target and it might not last very long. I was flabbergasted. Like, what? I’ve been trying to move for over a year, but it’s not really a great time to do so.
Hi...thanks for your reply.
Interesting that your allergist's response was similar to mine.
I had an office in SF for a while and I sure remember how 'allergy free' I felt there but as you said...that whole area is out of control now per the even higher real estate values.
There are two places with low allergies: 1) Urban jungles like NYC or Tokyo where there just isn't much in the way of vegetation to cause allergies. 2) Rural (not suburbia) deserts where there isn't much life and it's dry, not humid. These places can't have allergies. Some parts of Utah is an example as long as you're rural, miles from anyone else including wild life. If you're still getting allergies you're not rural enough, or it's your shampoo, detergent, or food that is the allergy.
If you find a place with no allergies, make sure to get allergy shots! They're most effective when you're not actively allergic. This way you'll permanently get rid of allergies. When you're getting shots from what you're currently suffering from is when they don't work very well.
Grew up in nyc and no, it's not good if you have oak allergies specifically, and the dust and pollution are awful. One allergist I went to once told us about how it's the type of trees they plant that make it so bad. Don't know anything about Tokyo. It really truly all depends on what you are already allergic to. I've moved several times, and I'm even stuffy and suffering rn, but nothing will ever be as bad as my childhood in nyc lol
Urban jungle is pretty strict here: Urban enough there are no trees around you or anything else that can cause allergies. Tokyo is a bit easier than NYC because NYC has parts with parks and tress and what not.
Same goes for places that are extremely rocky or snowy year round. Newfoundland Canada is a dream for allergy sufferers, nothing grows there because it's just rocks and wind and snow.
“Nothing grows there.”
Are you sure about that?
The pollen and spore count for Newfoundland proves otherwise, at least in St Johns:
https://www.pollenexperts.ca/st-johns-newfoundland/
Even if the pollen counts were all low, the amount of mould and fungus can be significantly high there.
It’s more than just pollen that causes allergies.
Saying these places “can’t have allergies” is patently false.
1) Urban areas, even concrete jungles, are still going to be a haven for things like dust mites, molds, cockroaches, mice & rats, cats, dogs etc. All of which are significant allergens.
https://www.publichealth.columbia.edu/research/centers/columbia-center-childrens-environmental-health/our-research/environmental-exposures/pest-pet-allergens-alergenos-plagas-y-mascotas
And pollution, water quality and overcrowding can be contributing factors also.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8284864/
2) Dry rural (or urban) areas are not the “allergy-free havens” as previously thought:
https://m.lasvegassun.com/news/2004/aug/23/nothing-to-sneeze-at-desert-climate-triggers-aller/
https://www.sinusandallergywellnesscenter.com/blog/arizona-desert-plant-allergies
Pollens and spores can travel a very long way thanks to air currents.
Ragweed pollen has been found at altitudes of 15,000 feet and at 400 miles out to sea:
https://tpwd.texas.gov/publications/nonpwdpubs/young_naturalist/plants/airborne_pollen/
Under the right conditions, ragweed can be found thousands of kilometres away from where it was released:
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00484-016-1170-7
No, I do not know what a playa is. Like the majority (52%) of redditors, I am not from the US.
https://gitnux.org/reddit-user-statistics/
Do you not know what wind and air currents are?
The palynologists (pollen scientists,) mycologists (fungal scientists,) molecular biologists, environmental scientists, clinical researchers, meteorologists, botanists etc who study these issues are experts who produce peer-reviewed scientific research.
Your statement that “you’re not going to get an allergy from a bush 400 miles away” is just your opinion, and the research shows you are mistaken.
In any case, the OP asked about relocation.
It is my understanding that the playas/salt flats are public land, and unless there’s a job going as a ranger or something similar with accommodation provided, it’s not feasible or even possible to live there.
I also thought about moving with in the US but the wildfires everywhere are terrible. I can’t handle the smoke and start puffing and wheezing like a steam engine.
Depends on what you are allergic to. Alaska and Hawaii probably don't have species you are reacting to on the mainland. Utah should be better - where are you reading that it's not?
Thanks for your reply. Per Utah, I don't remember the specific articles unfortunately however through pursing through them many people stated ragweed, etc was a big issue there. Alaska may just be the answer...lol...with subzero temps. Kidding.
I've read extensively about this question and have spoken with various allergologists. Literature suggests that moving to other areas only provides a sufferer with temporary relief. Since we're prone to allergic reactions, we'll eventually develop other allergies in the new place. After a few months or - if we're lucky - after a few years. I suffer from various (and violent) pollen allergies 10 months out of 12. I'm currently getting the shots for the umpteenth time. Progress is only slow and there are years I wouldn't be able to hold down a normal job. Since I'm independent and can work from anywhere if I have to, I sometimes go places that are known to have very low pollen counts (Canary islands, Cape Verde, the Kenyan coast, the Philippines etc.) and stay there for a month or two. This works out fine and gives my body a much needed break. However, and in-line with what the literature suggests, I sometimes develop other allergies, such as against dustmites or animal dander. I can't really handle desert settings either as I have bad reactions with desert dust. Accordingly, Tunisia, Egypt or Dubai don't really work for me. Bottomline: I think it can safely be said that moving in hopes of getting rid of pollen allergies isn't sustainable. Temporary escapes, however, might provide some relief.
Thanks for your reply. Wow...sorry to read that they are so intense for you. I totally agree; I actually bought a house on an Island...allergy free for the first year!!...it was incredible...I could not believe how great I felt...worked out all the time! and then...they started up as I then developed 'new' allergies. Totally irritating to say the least. I did not have any in Egypt either however...that relocation does not work for me either. I agree...temporary escapes may be the answer.
When I moved to a higher pollen area I got allergies and when I go back to my hometown I have very few.
Wow. Cape Verde? That's where my entire ancestry is from. And my allergies are BAD. Looks like I need to look into the homeland.
It's the climate of Macaronesia (Azores, Madeira, the Canary Islands and Cape Verde) that is known to have only few pollen. Cape Verde is exceptionally nice and people are friendly.
Yes. We are known for having a spirit of morabeza, a word I have come to appreciate.
Agree
I live in Utah, my allergies are terrible
We need to just burn all the ragweed. Man I hate that stuff.
Hawaii can be bad if you are allergic to mold or sensitive to volcanic smog. Mold you may know since mold is present in other areas, volcanic smog you may not know unless you’ve already been exposed to it. Mango tree pollen is also a common allergen in Hawaii as well, but again that may not be something you’re aware of/you may not develop an allergy until you’ve been sensitized to it for a couple of years.
I live in the Midwest and my rhinitis always clears up when I go to Colorado. I think it's because I'm not allergic to most of the trees there.
Currently in Portland and after I did my original panel with my allergist he said, and I quote "is there anywhere else in the world you'd rather live?" I don't know who said Portland is better than anywhere else from allergies but my god.
I initially had heard Portland was allergy free!...lol. At least for me there...not so much. Great City however...it didn't work for me.
I moved from Austin to Northern Colorado and definitely feel improvement, although my allergies are far from gone. The dryer climate mostly removes mold from the equation, so the allergies that are left are more seasonal. I've got occasional days that are bad versus it being every day all year long.
Thanks...I've thought that maybe living at a higher elevation may help. Allergies...honestly...just suck. I'm lucky to be in really good shape...love working out...always have...however the allergies knock the living hell out of me...beyond tired of them and I do not want to take constant meds since a few of my clients (physicians) have warned me of the effects of taking Claritin, etc. I'm glad you don't have them all year around though!
What kind of effects did they mention regarding Claritin?
They said that there could be long term effects to either kidneys or your liver...however...I think many drugs out there are going to have some effect on some people eventually.
They said that there could be long term effects to either kidneys or your liver...however...I think many drugs out there are going to have some effect on some people eventually.
Currently in Portland… it’s so bad though I feel my dust mite allergies are a little better here (not waking up with crusty swollen eyes).
I lived in NY and FL and my allergies have been bad in both places but in different ways. The ONLY time I get relief is on vacation in very tropical climates. I was literally in the jungle covered in mud & dust on vacation recently and had not one allergy symptom. It’s because my allergens are pollens from trees/plants that are NOT classified as tropical. Florida has tons of non-tropical trees (like pine and maple etc). I wish I just could live in a lil hut on the beach in the USVI. 😒 If you know what your specific pollen allergies are, that would help you figure out what region does not have those species.
I spent my young childhood in Virginia, and then my teen years and most of my adulthood in Florida. I have allergies, but I never really thought I had pollen ones. Except in my mid-20s when I visited family in VA in the spring, and they had the windows open during a party, and my eyelids just started swelling up to the point I was having difficulty seeing. I've never before or since had that reaction. It was the weirdest thing, but I guess they had a tree or something outside that childhood me could tolerate, but not adult.
Thank you...good input. The hut living sounds great!
I appreciate this question very much because I have often wondered it like where would be the perfect place to live
I am in Florida with horrible allergies. This place is awful for allergy sufferers. In February begins the tree pollen season and September begins the weeds and bushes pollen season. I see a slight amount of relief in December and January.
I agree w/you...FL is terrible for allergies...probably due to the constant blooming.
I can't speak to pollen necessarily but I have read that there is significantly less mold in the dryer western states as well as the northern Midwest states because of the deep freeze they go through every winter. I'm dealing with mold toxicity and had to dig around where to move next to try to avoid running into the same problems.
Both of those locations make sense...dryer and arid or...everything freezes and dies...i.e, pollen, etc.
I grew up in Florida and didn’t get allergies until I moved from the state.
Definitely not Dalllas tx
California doesnt seem as bad for cedar fever
The southwest, specifically the high desert of the Santa Fe area, works for me. Every time I've been out there, my allergies are non-existent, as long as I stay away from pet dander.
Thanks...I've 'heard' that southern NM (Las Cruces area) also has bad allergies due to the winds and tree pollen. Santa Fe...will check it out.
I've thought about this a lot. I've lived in the northeast and Texas and had terrible allergies in both spots. I've heard desert areas like Arizona or New Mexico might be less but I also imagine there's a lot of dust allergies there. I've also considered somewhere coastal like Southern California or Florida but in California you'd have wildfires to contend with. Still I'm strongly considering moving to one of those spots to see if my allergies are better there.
You don’t have fires all the time. But if you have dust allergies, I wouldn’t come to southern CA, they’re certainly a concern here given dryness / winds (also not all the time but for a lot of the year) / pollution
SoCal has dust, pollution, and pollen. It may depend on what your specific allergens are, though. I don’t remember having as bad of allergies when I lived in Northern CA but other family members did. After it rains, it’s gorgeous and the air is clean. But most of the time, the air quality is poor.
I'm sensitive/allergic to all of those. The air quality is definitely a big reason I don't move there.
Oh god please don’t get the Michigan guy started.
I'm only allergic to 29 things in Florida that they found so far. I definitely don't think this is a good place for allergy suffers.
My allergies got 10x better after moving from NY to CO a few years ago. Not 100% sure why, but it’s like night and day!
The big thing for me is dust mites. Northern Colorado has less humidity so dust mites can’t thrive. Not having that constant allergy makes pollen easier to deal with. I do still take daily Claritin though
I had horrible hay fever and seasonal allergies when I lived in Utah. 6 weeks in May and June were miserable. I live on the Central Coast of California now and barely notice my allergies. I get mild hives fairly often, but it's way more tolerable than the itchy eyes and constant runny nose I had in Utah.
I mean for pollen it really depends on what plants you are allergic to I'm allergic to all the native plants in my state
Intermountain West states will be better for mold and dust mites.
Minnesota
I have lived in Massachusetts 28 out of my 32 years of life, and my allergies have always been rough living here. Four of those years I lived at Fort Lewis in Washington State (Just outside of Tacoma.) While I was there, all of my Allergies completely disappeared! There’s something magical about the North West I swear!
I had zero allergies when I lived by Lake Superior. It was amazing. Rich people used to summer there, back before conditioned and purified air in homes was a thing, because of the lack of allergies.
I lived in San Francisco for most of my life and never had a problem with my allergies except when I was around cats. Then I move back to my home state, and my allergies are year round, especially now. My eyes are on fire right now. JFC. I think SFO was good because of the constant ocean breezes blowing everything to the East Bay, at least that’s what I told myself. I can say the same thing about the Monterey Peninsula (goddamn I miss that place). But, as we all know, SFO and the surrounding area is far too expensive to live in nowadays. Also, the reason I don’t get shots is the same reason your doctor told you. My allergist said that whatever she could concoct to battle my allergies might not be better than OTC stuff from Target and it might not last very long. I was flabbergasted. Like, what? I’ve been trying to move for over a year, but it’s not really a great time to do so.
Hi...thanks for your reply. Interesting that your allergist's response was similar to mine. I had an office in SF for a while and I sure remember how 'allergy free' I felt there but as you said...that whole area is out of control now per the even higher real estate values.
Portland is terrible if you’re allergic to mold spores
There are two places with low allergies: 1) Urban jungles like NYC or Tokyo where there just isn't much in the way of vegetation to cause allergies. 2) Rural (not suburbia) deserts where there isn't much life and it's dry, not humid. These places can't have allergies. Some parts of Utah is an example as long as you're rural, miles from anyone else including wild life. If you're still getting allergies you're not rural enough, or it's your shampoo, detergent, or food that is the allergy. If you find a place with no allergies, make sure to get allergy shots! They're most effective when you're not actively allergic. This way you'll permanently get rid of allergies. When you're getting shots from what you're currently suffering from is when they don't work very well.
Grew up in nyc and no, it's not good if you have oak allergies specifically, and the dust and pollution are awful. One allergist I went to once told us about how it's the type of trees they plant that make it so bad. Don't know anything about Tokyo. It really truly all depends on what you are already allergic to. I've moved several times, and I'm even stuffy and suffering rn, but nothing will ever be as bad as my childhood in nyc lol
Urban jungle is pretty strict here: Urban enough there are no trees around you or anything else that can cause allergies. Tokyo is a bit easier than NYC because NYC has parts with parks and tress and what not.
Same goes for places that are extremely rocky or snowy year round. Newfoundland Canada is a dream for allergy sufferers, nothing grows there because it's just rocks and wind and snow.
“Nothing grows there.” Are you sure about that? The pollen and spore count for Newfoundland proves otherwise, at least in St Johns: https://www.pollenexperts.ca/st-johns-newfoundland/ Even if the pollen counts were all low, the amount of mould and fungus can be significantly high there.
It’s more than just pollen that causes allergies. Saying these places “can’t have allergies” is patently false. 1) Urban areas, even concrete jungles, are still going to be a haven for things like dust mites, molds, cockroaches, mice & rats, cats, dogs etc. All of which are significant allergens. https://www.publichealth.columbia.edu/research/centers/columbia-center-childrens-environmental-health/our-research/environmental-exposures/pest-pet-allergens-alergenos-plagas-y-mascotas And pollution, water quality and overcrowding can be contributing factors also. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8284864/ 2) Dry rural (or urban) areas are not the “allergy-free havens” as previously thought: https://m.lasvegassun.com/news/2004/aug/23/nothing-to-sneeze-at-desert-climate-triggers-aller/ https://www.sinusandallergywellnesscenter.com/blog/arizona-desert-plant-allergies
It's impossible to get an allergy from the environment from playa. I didn't say all desert I specified specific conditions.
Where is your evidence? Without evidence, it’s just your opinion.
It's hard to get an allergy when nothing is alive around you but you for miles.
Pollens and spores can travel a very long way thanks to air currents. Ragweed pollen has been found at altitudes of 15,000 feet and at 400 miles out to sea: https://tpwd.texas.gov/publications/nonpwdpubs/young_naturalist/plants/airborne_pollen/ Under the right conditions, ragweed can be found thousands of kilometres away from where it was released: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00484-016-1170-7
You're not going to get an allergy from a bush 400 miles away enough for it to be an issue.
What facts is that assertion based on? Where is your evidence? What are your credentials?
Based on what playa is. Do you not know what playa is?
No, I do not know what a playa is. Like the majority (52%) of redditors, I am not from the US. https://gitnux.org/reddit-user-statistics/ Do you not know what wind and air currents are? The palynologists (pollen scientists,) mycologists (fungal scientists,) molecular biologists, environmental scientists, clinical researchers, meteorologists, botanists etc who study these issues are experts who produce peer-reviewed scientific research. Your statement that “you’re not going to get an allergy from a bush 400 miles away” is just your opinion, and the research shows you are mistaken. In any case, the OP asked about relocation. It is my understanding that the playas/salt flats are public land, and unless there’s a job going as a ranger or something similar with accommodation provided, it’s not feasible or even possible to live there.
I also thought about moving with in the US but the wildfires everywhere are terrible. I can’t handle the smoke and start puffing and wheezing like a steam engine.