Nothing to sneeze at: Cape Coral lands on worst places in U.S. for allergies list

Cape Coral is one of the fastest growing cities in the U.S. with a population just over 200,000 people, according to the census. It is a desirable place to live for many reasons, including its natural beauty, its canals and waterways and of course those cute burrowing owls.

The Cape is a familiar name on an assortment of "best places to ..." lists every year. But every now and then, a ranking comes out that doesn't fall into the "good news" bucket.

The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America's released its Top 20 allergy capitals for 2023 this month and Cape Coral is ranked No. 7 for most challenging cities for managing allergies.

More:Did the election of Patty Cummings violate the Cape Coral city charter?

Here is what we know about the allergy study:

  • Cape coral is not alone in Florida. Sarasota (No. 6) and Orlando (No. 8) also made the list.

  • The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America is the oldest and largest non-profit patient organization dedicated to reducing the burden of disease for people with asthma, allergies, and related conditions.

  • The organization releases an annual study of the 100 most populated cities in the U.S. to raise awareness of the impact of seasonal pollen allergies, which is calculated based on pollen scores, tree, grass, and weed, use of allergy medication, and the number of board-certified allergists in each area.

Who is No. 1?

Wichita, Kansas took the top spot based on its high tree and grass pollen scores, higher-than-average use of allergy medicines, and the limited amount of allergy and immunology specialists per patient.

What cities are the most challenging to manage allergies?

  1. Wichita, KS

  2. Dallas, TX

  3. Scranton, PA

  4. Oklahoma City, OK

  5. Tulsa, OK

  6. Sarasota

  7. Cape Coral

  8. Orlando

  9. Des Moines, IA

  10. Greenville, SC

What cities are the least challenging manage allergies?

  1. Buffalo, NY

  2. Seattle, WA

  3. Cleveland, OH

  4. Austin, TX

  5. Akron, OH

  6. Washington, DC

  7. Detroit, MI

  8. Albuquerque, NM

  9. Columbus, OH

  10. Salt Lake City, UT

The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America's released its Top 20 allergy capitals for 2023 this month and Cape Coral is ranked No. 7 for most challenging cities for managing allergies.
The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America's released its Top 20 allergy capitals for 2023 this month and Cape Coral is ranked No. 7 for most challenging cities for managing allergies.

Did you know? Climate change impacting Midwest and Florida

  • Since starting its annual report in 2003, AAFA has seen pollen count worsen with rising temperatures contributing to longer growing seasons and higher pollen concentration in the U.S.

  • They cite the National Climate Assessment from the U.S. Global Change Research Program.

  • Between 1990-2018, the plant growing season grew an average of 20 days, which produce more than 21% of pollen.

What they are saying

“We are experiencing longer and more intense allergy seasons because of climate change. For people with asthma, allergies can trigger an asthma attack,” says Kenneth Mendez, CEO and president of AAFA in a press release. “About 81 million people in the U.S. have seasonal allergic rhinitis, which is most often caused by pollen allergies. If we don’t take immediate action on the climate crisis, pollen production will only intensify. This means more allergy and asthma attacks and additional strain on our health systems.”

Allergies can trigger asthma episodes and attacks.

“As pollen counts spike, we often see spikes in emergency room visits for asthma,” Mendez added. “Around 3,600 people per year die from asthma, so it is important to address and manage asthma and allergy triggers where you live.”

More information

For tips on how to manage your pollen allergies, go to aafa.org/pollen-allergy.

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Cape Coral one of the worst cities in the U.S. for allergies