According to national health surveys, allergic rhinitis rates are the highest in the ACT (Canberra), where 1 in 5 people reported suffering from long-term allergic rhinitis, followed closely by Western Australia, Victoria and South Australia.
“We are the capital of the world for allergies, for hayfever … at least one in three people in greater Melbourne suffers from it,” La Trobe University study co-author Dr Philip Taylor said.
Five of the ten worst states for allergies are in the South Central United States — Kansas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Missouri and Texas. The five best states for allergy sufferers are all in the Rocky Mountain region of the Western United States — Utah, Nevada, Wyoming, Arizona and Colorado.
Queensland in Australia has a low pollen count from March through to August.
Melbourne's chaotic climate breeds allergies
'Our temperate climate is well suited for the growth of grasses such as ryegrass,' he says.
Brisbane and Darwin have high pollen for most of the year. Allergic rhinitis and asthma are very common in Australia, and people with pollen allergy may experience symptoms for many months.
The Australian Capital Territory and Western Australia have the highest rates of allergic rhinitis in Australia, and Queensland and New South Wales have the lowest.
Canberra comes out on top in both categories, closely followed by Melbourne and Adelaide as cities where there are not only high rates of allergic rhinitis, but also where you are most likely to encounter plants with the potential to trigger allergic rhinitis (see species richness graph).
Adelaide, tying with Gold Coast, has been named the healthiest cities in Australia in a new study by Mandoe Media, with Melbourne, Perth and Sydney rounding out the top 5. Brisbane missed a top 5 place, ranking 6th, and the nation's capital ranked 12th.
States that have a lot of trees, grass, and weeds will have a lot of allergens. Areas in the Northeast U.S. like Pennsylvania, New York, and Connecticut. Virginia, Kansas, and Texas have a high rate of allergens.
Deserts of the world
If you can take the heat, desert destinations offer relief from respiratory allergies like hay fever. The main reason for this advantage is the fact that deserts are barren wastelands that don't contain many plants – the source of those offending pollens.
The AAFA placed Wichita, Kansas, in the top spot this year based on its high tree and grass pollen score, a higher-than-average allergy medication use and the limited number of allergy or immunology specialists per patient. Here are the top 20 allergy capitals for 2023: Wichita, Kansas.
Several factors within the modern, urban lifestyle have been identified, although no single agent has been highlighted as the main reason. Exposure to adequate levels of vitamin D and the types of infections in childhood are thought to change the immune system development and trigger an allergic response.
Food allergy occurs in around 10% of infants, 4-8% of children, and about 2% of adults in Australia and New Zealand. The most common food allergens are cow's milk (dairy), egg, peanut, tree nuts, sesame, soy, fish, shellfish and wheat.
Australia is believed to have one of the highest rates of hay fever in the world and was ranked seventh for allergic rhinitis in The International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) study in 2006.
Fish and shellfish allergy are most common in adulthood. Other less common but still major food allergies in Australia include sesame, soy and wheat. Peanut, tree nut, sesame and seafood allergies are usually lifelong.
South Australia has been crowned Australia's most considerate state! South Australians have been found to be the most likely to consider other people's needs, according to the Helga's Kindness Index, a first-of-its-kind report examining the state of kindness in the country.
1. Canberra – Australia's Capital City. Nestled between Sydney and Melbourne, Canberra is not only the capital but also Australia's safest city. With a low crime rate and a small-town vibe, Canberra offers an attractive blend of city living and peaceful suburban life.
“Queensland's known as the sunshine state. All those rays and the laidback lifestyle might be among the reasons why it's Australia's happiest state,” Mr Bayliss said.
On the other hand, pollen counts usually drop when the weather is wet, drizzly, or cloudy, according to Dr. Bassett. This dreary weather may not help your mood, but it does minimize the amount of pollen flying through the air and triggering your allergy symptoms.
Northern Territory. Coming in at last place, making it one of the the best places to live for allergy sufferers in Australia is the Northern Territory! With rates of almost half of the other states, at 11.8%, the Northern Territory is a haven for hay fever sufferers.
Hay fever at the beach is less of a problem because the areas around the sea have significantly lower pollen counts than inland. This is a result of strong sea breezes that blow allergens away while moisture prevents pollen travelling too much in the air.
Generally, coastal areas or dry places are the best places to travel to in the hayfever season as pollen counts are much lower in areas where there are fewer plants.