Crisp mornings and leaves tinged with color herald the arrival of autumn in Louisville — and, for those allergic to ragweed (which blooms in mid-August) and molds (which multiply in damp fallen leaves layered on the ground), weeks of sneezing, stuffed-up sinuses and itchy eyes. Local residents then can commiserate over the woes of “Ohio Valley crud” as they line up at pharmacies for prescription and over-the-counter remedies. But guess what? In the 2006 Fall Allergy Capital Rankings disseminated by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, Louisville is only the seventh-worst metro area in the country, behind Greenville, S.C.; Tampa; Dallas-Fort Worth; Tulsa; Oklahoma City; and San Antonio. (There must be something about those endless flat expanses of land dotted with oil derricks.) Orlando, Omaha and Grand Rapids, Mich. rounded out the top 10, with New York City coming in at number 11.
The rankings consider various factors, including pollen and mold spore levels, pharmacy data on medicine utilization per patient, and the number of physicians board-certified as allergy specialists per 1,000 patients. In 2006 Louisville got an average pollen score but worse-than-average scores for medicine utilization (we used more than other areas) and board-certified allergists (we had fewer than other areas). (In the more recent 2007 rankings for spring allergies, Louisville ranked 47th, markedly improving its allergists count.) So while it may not ease your symptoms, rest assured that there are a lot of folks in other parts of the country more miserable than we are this fall. Gesundheit!
