How can sneezy Sacramento be one of the best U.S. cities for allergy sufferers? It’s not
Out of a deep sleep, I suddenly awoke at 2 a.m. as a snotty, sneezing, eye-itching, coughing mess. I stumbled out of bed, blindly reached for a tissue — or 10 — and spent the next hour attempting to fall back asleep while miserably wiping my nose every few minutes.
Ahh, Sacramento in the springtime.
The very next morning, I learned that the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America had declared Sacramento one of the “Least Challenging Cities” for seasonal allergies. It ranked Sacramento 95th out of 100 major metropolitan cities for allergy suffering.
What kind of hell do people in the 94 other cities live in?
Anecdotal evidence does not constitute proof, but this ranking feels rather insulting to our long-suffering noses. Every spring, the Sacramento Valley turns into a blooming paradise of allergens and yellow pollen floating through the air, like a biblical plague sent to punish those of us who dare flaunt our sinuses in open air.
More than 50 million Americans suffer from allergies every year, and sometimes it feels like every one of us lives in Sacramento.
Apparently various grasses, birch, oak and ash trees are the worst offenders. And as we all know, the City of Trees has got those in spades: city of Sacramento arborist Kevin Hocker, speaking to CapRadio in 2018, said it’s likely the city has more than 1 million trees within its nearly 100 square miles.
The Asthma and Allergy Foundation told me they based their study on three factors, including spring and fall pollen scores, reported over-the-counter medicine use and the local availability of board-certified allergists/immunologists. Sacramento just doesn’t rank very high on those factors, said Hannah Jaffee, a research analyst who worked on the project with the Foundation.
“Sacramento has an average score for the spring pollen-affected population, and actually has a better than average score for the Fall pollen affected population,” Jaffee said. “It also scores better than average for over the counter medicine use ... and then an average score for the availability of allergists in the area.”
But, as Jaffee pointed out, “these are all relative rankings (and) we acknowledge that, right now, allergies are really bad everywhere, so just because you’re towards the bottom of the list doesn’t necessarily mean (Sacramento) is a great place to live.”
Sacramento is a great place to live for a lot of reasons, but our pollen count isn’t one of them. But maybe the latter criteria — the availability of doctors in our area — is what dropped us so low in the charts. Or, perhaps it’s because this list doesn’t take Sacramento’s poor air quality scores into effect.
Dr. Nancy Lane, a UC Davis distinguished professor and doctor of medicine, rheumatology and aging research, called BS when I asked her about this — though, admittedly, very professionally.
“We’re not over-doctored,” Lane said, scoffing at the ranking. “It’s just bad data.”
“Spring is here in full form and it’s beautiful, but we know here in Sacramento that a lot of people suffer from seasonal allergies, pollen and the breeze that moves the pollen around,” she said. She’s even had colleagues move out of the area due to their allergies, she added. Not being able to breathe for months is a terrifying experience.
After talking to an expert, I thought the story was done. But then it got weirder.
Not only is there an Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America, there’s also an American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. And don’t forget the Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Foundation of Northern California, (which, let’s be honest, likely knows Sacramento better than the other two).
According to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, Sacramento ranked in the top 25 worst cities for seasonal allergies just 20 years ago — and the problem has only gotten worse since then with climate change and maturing trees, Lane said.
Meanwhile, the Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Foundation of Northern California, says there’s a whole range of Northern California-specific allergens that could be the culprit.
“For some people, this can really, really affect them,” Lane said. “Don’t deny yourself. Get some help and get on a (medicine) routine that works.”
Perhaps the real lesson here is not how bad the allergies in Sacramento are but rather that we shouldn’t take these “best cities” lists too seriously. This ranking belongs in the trash — with the rest of our snotty Kleenexes.
This story was originally published May 20, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
