TAMPA, Fla. — The sun is shining. It’s not too hot outside. The trees and flowers are in full bloom. It’s spring in Florida. Unfortunately, everyone can’t enjoy this weather, especially those with allergies.
“This year, it's been crazy,” Patti Helson said.
Helton said she didn’t have allergies until she moved to Florida a few years ago. She said they get worse every year.
“I get a tickle in the throat, cough, and difficulty breathing,” she said.
Her allergies started bothering her about three weeks ago. USF St. Pete student Maria Spoor said that’s when hers started as well.
“I feel better today, but yesterday and the week before was really bad,” Spoor said.
Bayfront Health St. Pete Dr. Katherine Wojnowich said there are lots of patients dealing with the same. According to her and other doctors in the area, there are two factors responsible for an already active allergy season.
“I think it's kind of the perfect storm when we have these overlapping allergy seasons,” said Dr. Wojnowich.
And the allergy problems many are facing in Tampa may not surprise many. According to the Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America (AAFA), Tampa ranked 18th out of the 100 most populated U.S. cities looked at in its 2023 Allergy Capitals report.
The report measured tree, grass, and weed pollen scores, over-the-counter allergy medicine use, and availability of board-certified allergists and immunologists before categorizing a city's score in each category as "worse-than-average," "average," and "better-than-average."
The Florida city with the worst score was Sarasota, which ranked sixth, followed by Cape Coral at seventh and Orlando at eighth. Miami was also included, coming in at 14.
Wichita, Kansas, came in first for its worse-than-average pollen, higher-than-average allergy use, and fewer allergists and immunologists.
