Health

DC Is Not the Worst City for Allergies

A new ranking shows that DC didn’t even make the top ten list.

According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America's annual report, DC did not make the top 10 list of worst cities for fall allergies. Photograph courtesy of Shutterstock.

We almost couldn’t believe our itchy eyes when we read it, but it’s true: DC is not the worst city for allergies—at least not in the fall. (Talk to us when those cherry blossoms start blooming.)

The newest report released by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America shows that DC didn’t even make the top ten list for Fall Allergy Capitals this year. In fact, this year we rank 82nd in worst cities for fall allergies, which is 17 spots below last year’s ranking.

The foundation based its scientific analysis on three factors: pollen scores, number of allergy medications used for patients, and number of allergy specialists per patient. DC was ranked better than average for pollen and average for medicine utilization and number of board-certified allergists.

The researchers noted that fall’s allergy trigger is ragweed pollen, which is pollen from plants that belong to the genus Ambrosia. Spring, on the other hand, is typically a tree pollen season, while allergies in the summer are typically triggered by grass pollen.

So what is the worst city in the US for fall allergies? Louisville, Kentucky.

For the full list of rankings, visit the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America’s website