Best and Worst Cities for People with Asthma to Live

If you suffer from asthma like I do and like millions of other adults and children in the country do then it's probably not anything new to tell you that pollution and the air quality where you are has a huge impact on your condition. That's because asthma is often flared up from the various pollutants in the air and many asthma sufferers live in the absolute worst places that they possibly could when it comes to the condition of the lungs and respiratory system. In addition to pollution and various allergens being a huge problem to asthma sufferers it is also important to have a good asthma specialist close by if you suffer from chronic asthma and respiratory problems.

Health Magazine recently did a study to determine where the best and worst places are to live for asthma sufferers based on various factors including the amount of pollution in the air, pollen counts, and of course the number of asthma specialists in the area. What they came up with was a list of the top five best and worst places for people with asthma to live in the country. You'll be surprised to see that New York (where many people think pollution is extremely high) and also Los Angeles (another high pollution area) are not on the list at all! Here is a recap of the top three on the list and a look at what each city does--or doesn't have to offer for people who have asthma!

Best Places to Live if You have Asthma:

Cape Coral, Florida: With more than 400 miles of canals that run through the area, Cape Coral is a great place for asthma sufferers to bask in the sun and enjoy the beautiful outdoors by boat, canoe, kayak, or just on foot. The air in Cape Coral is probably so pure and clean because with so many canals there is little room for additional pollution from city roads and cars, or factories for that matter.

Seattle, Washington: One trip to beautiful Seattle and any asthma sufferer will want to spend a lifetime in this beautiful city. It offers big city life without the added air pollution that is detrimental to asthma sufferers. In addition to having a lot to offer, Seattle typically has relatively low pollen counts and the clean mountain air is great for people living with asthma.

Minneapolis, Minnesota: Although pollen counts are often relatively high in the beautiful city of Minneapolis, the city has hundreds of asthma specialists in the area so even if an attack is imminent it can likely be treated quickly! There's even an Asthma and Allergy Care Specialist clinic located right in the heart of the city making this a great city to live in if you are a chronic asthma sufferer.

Worst Places to Live if You Have Asthma:

St. Louis, Missouri: St. Louis happens to have relatively low pollen counts much of the time but unfortunately, even worse than pollen to an asthma sufferer is MOLD which is something that St. Louis has high counts of. Various types of mold plague the city making it the worst city in the country for asthma sufferers to live. In addition to having a high mold count, St. Louis also has relatively high pollution levels too!

Milwaukee, Wisconsin: In Milwaukee, mold counts are typically moderate to high, pollen counts tend to be elevated, and there are not a lot of asthma specialists in the area to help asthmatics in case of emergency. This is definitely not the best place for an asthma sufferer to live or spend very much time, especially for those whose asthma is escalated by molds or pollens.

Birmingham, Alabama: Big city, lots of traffic, trains and mass production equal terrible place for people with asthma to live! In the city of Birmingham there is always steel and iron production taking place which results in very high pollution levels. In addition to the pollution in the city, pollen counts will likely range from low to moderate making some days harder than other for asthma sufferers who choose to live in this city!

Sources:

To Breathe Easier, Live Here, www.health.com

Local Pollen Counts, www.pollen.com

Local Air Pollution Counts, www.scorecard.org