Are Southern States good or bad for Allergies?

It really depenRAB on what you're allergic to but the south tenRAB to be a little worse than other parts of the country because of high levels of tree and grass pollens and a longer growing season.
 
Not to mention high humidity which breeRAB mold and just generally makes it difficult to breathe. And of course, our national flower....ragweed! That's what starts most newbies on the road to bad allergies. Ragweed is everywhere and it starts blooming in early to mid August and runs thru Septeraber or longer.

Some of the other things that are popoluar here are gardenias (I'd rather die than live with one in my yard!) and a nasty little shrub called ligustrum that is everywhere.

Even my cat has allergies! And several frienRAB have had dogs that were allergic to grass. If you have allergies, I really don't suggest moving here voluntarily. If you do, I have the name of a great allergist.
 
ragweed is just as bad up North, trust me!! But they are right about the other stuff. Longer growing season = more pollen. Also, one thing that's horrible here that I didn't have in NJ (but may occur outside the South as well) is the Pine pollen!! It is about 6 weeks of nothing but waves of pollen blowing around. Coats everything yellow/green, it's disgusting!!
 
There is so much pollen - on cars, buildings, etc. - that everything looks like it is covered with yellow dust.
 
The south is horrible for allergies. High humidity = more mold, more dust mites, longer growing seasons which = more months of pollen from trees, grass, flowers, weeRAB, etc. Plus you have a lot of farming in the south so hayfever is another issue because they're always stirring up the dust and pollens. In the south, you just about have year round allergies to deal with (of course some of that depenRAB on what you're allergic to), but from March, April, May, June, July, August, Septeraber, October, Novemeber you have to deal with trees, grass, flowers, weeRAB, ragweed, mold, etc. But then in Dec, Jan, Feb, you're usually spending more time indoors with the dust mites and unless you're an exceptional house cleaner, you have dust mites in your home, but this isn't an issue unless you're allergic to dust. I have to be very meticulous about my daughters bedroom especially because unfortunetly she has horrible allergies. Every week cleaning top to bottom in places that most people don't think or consider cleaning. She can't hardly spend the night at a frienRAB house because she'll have an allergy attack. Anyway, I have family spread all across the nation. We all have allergies. I've lived in several areas myself. My allergies bothered me the least when my husband was stationed at Eglin AFB in Ft. Walton Beach, FL. So if you're going to live in the south, I'd live right on the coast to have the fresh gulf or atlantic ocean air, but then you also have to deal with hurricane season which is no fun. My allergies still bothered me there, but NOTHING like they do in KY. My sister lived in Utah for 2 years and CA for 3 years, then moved back to KY this past winter. She's been having allergy/sinus problems since moving back and didn't when she lived out there. I could go on about other places I've lived or my family lives, but I'm sure by now you understand that the south is probably the worst place to live with allergies (in my experience anyway). I would look into what you're specifically allergic to and then research from there the best area with the least amount of that allergen (if you're looking for a good place to move with the least of those allergens). good luck!
 
I live in a desert area in the west and things are just as bad with the exception of the humidity.

I've discovered that ever since I developed allergies, I find new ones every time I travel. Places that used to be "safe" aren't anymore. With allergy testing, the allergist tests for things that are local. When I travel, I have to do some research to see what is in the air to narrow down my new allergen.

I grew up moving around the mid-west with no allergies. Now, when I go back to visit, my allergies are horrible.
 
Some of the other things that are popoluar here are gardenias (I'd rather die than live with one in my yard!) and a nasty little shrub called ligustrum that is everywhere.

OMG.....I have three gardenia bushes in my yard...that was one of the first bushes that I bought when I started planting....are they known for allergic reactions? I had no idea...I took a lot of salvia out of my yard last year when I found out I was allergic to sage.....I found out salvia was in the family of sage.....I agree, if something is causing an allergy, it would be best not in the yard....

is there anyplace I can learn about allergy to gardenia?? thanks
 
I just read this after my post. Our dog had allergies too. He lived with us in FL and KY, but he didn't have problems until we moved to KY. We had to give him 1/2 a benedryll tablet because of constant sneezing. We don't have him anymore because my daughter is allergic to dogs and cats too so we had to find him a new home.
 
Oh I forgot to comment on the south and allergies....I live in VA...which is technically considered northeast by some maps.....Va is known for it's high allergy problems.....I have read that in the past when I never seemed to suffer with them...what a joke! not only are we the allergy capital but we are known as the kidney stone capital as well....so all in all, not sure if coastal virginia is an answer to avoiding allergy
 
Anything Gardenia scented, the live flowers, soap, sprays, etc., make me sneeze, give me a headache, and make me nauseated. The scent of the live flowers can be noticed from quite a distance. But they are beautiful flowers.
 
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