Worst Cities for Spring Allergies April 8, 2011 -- The charm of a Southern spring may be lost on millions of seasonal allergy sufferers. A new study shows Knoxville and a host of other Southern cities top the list of the worst places to live with spring allergies.

It’s the second year in a row the Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has given the dubious honor of “the most challenging place to live with spring allergies” to the east Tennessee town. Rounding out the top five were four other Southern cities: Louisville, Ky.; Charlotte, N.C.; Jackson, Miss.; and Chattanooga.

The rankings are based on an analysis of the following three factors for the 100 largest metro areas in the U.S.:

• Pollen scores (airborne grass/tree/weed pollen and mold spores)
• Number of allergymedications used per patient
• Number of allergy specialists per patient

Researchers say Knoxville’s top spot this year was primarily because of a higher-than-average use of allergy medications per patient and higher-than-average pollen counts. The city has ranked in the top 10 on the annual report for six out of the past nine years.

For the full listing of the 100 top allergy capitals, see www.allergycapitals.com.

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