ORLANDO, Fla. – Pollen is in the air (and on your car). If your allergies are already making you miserable, you’re not alone. A new report by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America says allergy seasons are getting longer and more intense as trees and flowers bloom earlier.
Florida has some of the most challenging metro areas for allergy sufferers, according to the 2024 Allergy Capitals report. Out of 100 Metro areas, eight Florida cities made it into the top 50.
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Orlando came in at No. 16 on the list, with a score ranked as “worse than average” overall.
The AAFA’s report ranked cities based on pollen counts, over-the-count allergy medication sales, and the number of allergy specialists operating in the cities.
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While AAFA found that Orlando’s pollen score ranked as “average,” the report did find that Orlando did have a high number of sales for allergy medications.
Oak tree pollen is one of the biggest problems in Florida. It has a long pollen-producing season, and Florida has 19 different types of oak trees, according to the University of Florida.
Other allergy issues are barberry shrubs and grasses.
Meteorologist Samara Cokinos says the weather during the spring is a factor. Breezy days move the trees and shake the pollen, and there are fewer rainy days to dampen that pollen. Meanwhile, days where there is rain helps grass and weed pollen spread more easily.
Warm and cold fronts, meanwhile, carry in pollen from other parts of the country too. That flares up allergies you may not know you have.
The other Florida cities on the list include:
13. Sarasota
33. Lakeland
36. Daytona Beach
37. Palm Bay
41. Tampa
44. Cape Coral
48. Miami
71. Jacksonville
The No. 1 most challenging city for allergy sufferers, according to the report, was Wichita, Kansas, for the second year in a row. Akron, Ohio had the best overall ranking for allergy sufferers.
You can read the whole report below.
Aafa 2024 Allergy Capitals Report by Christie Zizo on Scribd
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