LANDOVER, Md., April 8 (UPI) -- There is no place to hide from allergies in the United States, but some cities fare worse than others and Knoxville, Tenn., is the worst for spring allergies.
The Allergy Capitals, an annual research project of the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, ranks the 100 most challenging places to live with allergies in spring and fall. The rankings are based on three criteria for the 100 largest metropolitan areas in the United States and include:
-- Pollen scores such as airborne grass/tree/weed pollen and mold spores.
-- Number of allergy medications used per patient.
-- Number of allergy specialists per patient.
For the second year in a row, Knoxville is the city at the top of the AAFA's annual Spring Allergy Capitals ranking, primarily higher-than-average use of allergy medications per patient and higher-than-average pollen counts. Following Knoxville are: Louisville, Ky., Charlotte, N.C., Jackson, Miss., and Chattanooga, Tenn.
The best cities for allergies from the ranking are: San Diego, Boise City, Idaho, and Akron, Ohio.
