Worst Cities for Fall Allergies

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Everything's bigger in Texas, and that definitely includes the amount of pollen. McAllen, Tex., topped the AAFA's list of the worst cities for allergy sufferers. "Texas is consistently in the top ten with one or two of its cities," said Mike Tringale, the Director of External Affairs at AAFA. The study found that Texas ranked above average in each of the categories measured. "The American South is a dumping ground for pollen," Tringale says. Last year's winner, Greensboro, N.C., dropped to number 25 in this year's survey. Tringale says that rankings can shift for a number of reasons including weather changes, wind patterns and other factors.

What You Can Do to Avoid the Worst This Allergy Season

According to the AAFA, more than 50 million people suffer from allergies in the United States. While trying to phase out all the allergy triggers in your life might be a lofty goal, there are a number of tips and tricks you can employ to make it through allergy season.

David Shulan, M.D. and Vice President of Certified Allergy and Asthma Consultants in Albany, N.Y., suggests being mindful of daily pollen counts -- available in weather updates and on allergy Web sites like the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology -- and avoiding going out during peak pollen hours, usually in the morning and early afternoon. Pollen shots can also be effective in curbing allergy symptoms, he says.

As fall rolls in and people begin shutting windows to lock out the cold, indoor allergens like household plants, pet dander and dust mites can also start to pose a problem. Dr. Shulan, an allergy sufferer himself, suggests using allergy covers on your mattresses and pillows to reduce the amount of triggers with which you come into direct contact. He also recommends keeping plants out of your bedroom, as they can often aggravate allergy symptoms. For those with pets, Dr. Shulan says that it is important to wash your hands frequently and "don't have Fido or your pussycat sleep on your bed." He recommends washing your pet at least once a week with pet shampoo and water. This is also helpful because pets can often carry other outdoor allergens, like pollen, on their fur, so tossing them in the tub can also cut down on those allergy triggers.

Allergies vs. the Common Cold

For those having trouble distinguishing between the watery eyes, nasal congestion and sneezing symptoms of colds and allergies, Dr. Shulan offers this piece of advice: Cold symptoms will usually subside in one to two weeks, while allergy symptoms will persist much longer. "If you find that you have nasal congestion and are sneezing for two months at a time, it's probably allergies." Allergies can have a serious impact on asthma sufferers in particular. Dr. Shulan says that the two conditions can often go hand in hand, with about 75 percent of children and 50 percent of adults suffering from both asthma and allergies.