{"id":5084484,"date":"2019-04-30T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-04-30T04:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ctlatinonews.com\/achoo-3-worst-connecticut-cities-this-allergy-season\/"},"modified":"2019-04-30T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2019-04-30T04:00:00","slug":"achoo-3-worst-connecticut-cities-this-allergy-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/ctln\/2019\/04\/30\/achoo-3-worst-connecticut-cities-this-allergy-season\/","title":{"rendered":"Achoo! 3 Worst Connecticut Cities, This Allergy Season"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The arrival of spring brings warmer weather and outdoor fun, but it also means the onslaught of seasonal allergies.<\/p>\n\n\n

And no\none is immune \u2014 not even Latinos.<\/p>\n\n\n

A 2017\nreport by statista.com revealed that 5.4 percent of Latinos reported suffering\nfrom hay fever in the past year.<\/p>\n\n\n

More\nthan 50 million people across the country suffer from nasal allergies, with\nabout half of those due to seasonal allergies, according to the Asthma and\nAllergy Foundation of America (AAFA).<\/p>\n\n\n

The\nAAFA recently released its Spring Allergy Capitals 2019\nreport, and three Connecticut cities made the top 50.<\/p>\n\n\n

On the\nlist of the 100 cities in the AAFP report, Hartford ranked 22 this year, up\nfrom the 26th<\/sup> spot in 2018. New Haven was right behind coming in at\n23 in 2019, up one spot from the previous year. Both were rated worse than\naverage in terms of spring allergies.<\/p>\n\n\n

Bridgeport\ncame in at number 40 this year, up eight spots from 48 in 2018. Overall it was\nrated average when it came to spring allergies.<\/p>\n\n\n

In\ndetermining the rankings, AAFA analyzed three factors \u2014 pollen score,\nmedication use and the number of allergy specialists in the area.<\/p>\n\n\n

\u201cSpring allergies can cause a lot of misery for millions of people in the U.S.,\u2019 said Kenneth Mendez, AAFA President, and CEO. \u201cOur Spring Allergy Capitals report highlights the cities that face the most challenges due to high pollen counts, high allergy medicine usage and lower access to specialized care by allergists.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

Dr. Mitchell Grayson, chair of the foundation\u2019s Medical-Scientific Council, said, \u201cThis report helps people in these areas be more aware of what may contribute to their allergy symptoms so they can work with their health care providers to get relief. With the right treatment plan, seasonal allergies can be managed for a better quality of life.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

The\noutlook for increased allergens in the air doesn\u2019t look good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Climate change is not only affecting rising temperatures and changes in worldwide weather patterns, but it\u2019s also increasing airborne pollen levels and duration, according to the American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI).<\/p>\n\n\n

The AAAAI said climate changes may impact the pollen seasons of trees, grasses, and weeds by increasing the amount of pollen produced and by extending the duration of the pollen season.<\/p>\n\n\n

To help reduce pollen exposure, the AAFA suggests the following: <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n