Living Near the Ocean in Florida: Best Location for Allergy Sufferers

I suffer from among other things, severe allergies. All my life I have sneezed and sniffed, coughed and wheezed at one thing or another, and have found, through much suffering, moving around and talking with allergists, that living near the ocean is just fantastic for myself, and other multi-environmentally sensitive individuals.

When I lived in New York, I lived on Long Island, which was surrounded by water. Though there were a bit of trees and grass, I still felt pretty well, for I was close to Jones Beach, and the Atlantic Ocean. The air was moisture rich, and my skin felt even more hydrated, a plus from the ocean mists.

When a person born in the north moves anywhere south, there is bound to be some differences in adjustment to the climate, not just from a heat perspective, but environmentally, especially if the individual is allergy prone. In my previous article Knowing and Avoiding Your Allergies Before Moving to the South, I discuss what to avoid before moving, and suggested allergy testing for the types of indigenous plants and tree life that may cause a future problem.

If you want or need to move to a location, be it job transfer or out of a desirable locale for a change, then there are ways to minimize the risk of suffering, depending on the state of choice in general.

With the exception of dry climates like out west, try and live close to the ocean. Even being on the cusp, or within twenty to thirty miles of the ocean can yield great health benefits for the allergy sufferer, for the ocean air tends to purify the floating allergens, lessing their irritating effects.

The salt air is known to open one's bronchial passages, and this can help to lessen severe allergy and asthma attacks that involve limited breathing and lung capacity. The salt air also carries moisture, thus breathing in this quality air makes the bronchial system more moist, lessening irritation, and helping to sweep out the bad allergens that irritate nasal and bronchial passages. The ocean air helps to eliminate stuffiness as well.

It is said that the ocean has a calming affect on the body, and breathing in the air is purifying, but spending time directly by the ocean reaps double the health benefits. Living or exercising near the beach can help to strengthen one's immune system, which in turn makes a sufferer less susceptible to an offending pollen or other air-born irritant, including car fumes and other forms of pollution.

The immune system is less stressed, and the sufferer has a better chance to get stronger, depending on the individual and situation. For the average allergy sufferer, living in any allergic environment is manageable with the ocean close-by.

Here are some of the best locations for allergy sufferers that I have visited, and lived in in the sunshine state.

The Atlantic Side of Florida, from St. Augustine, New Smyrna Beach and down to Miami. The further south one gets, the hotter, but the air is not as muggy on this side of Florida than on the west.

On the west side of Florida, there are the gulf waters, which are beautiful, especially from Venice Florida down to Ft. Myers. Some areas are muggy on this side, so for the asthma sufferer, it is important to live closer to the coast, and away from any industrial areas. I think asthma sufferers in general should try the east coast of Florida.

Central Florida is the worst for allergy sufferer's, especially if prone to oak tree allergens. One has to be careful of any large forests and industrial plants as well, which tend to thrive in less built up, or commercial areas. There are also lots of orange groves central, so depending on what you are allergic too, location is everything.

On the Panhandle, close to Georgia there are some fantastic ocean towns, but there are industrial areas as well, and the Apalachicola Forest, so one would have to really investigate this section of the state, though some ocean areas past Apalachicola and near Panama City are said to be good for people with allergen sensitivity. Further back heading to Georgia and more southern borders, there are large expanses of land in-between with oak trees and such, so the beach side would be the location of choice within the proper range.

Remember, summer is the hottest time of the year, and in Florida, extremely hot, and it is hard to breath in general. A good time to judge one's tolerance would be winter and even, if you can stand it, springtime. When everything is blooming, you can see how you react to an area, being you are the type of sufferer who can tolerate the pollen spores, and not one who's immune system is too severely compromised. When it comes to one's allergies, with the proper testing and research, the right ocean location may be all that matters for having a better quality of life.