Boise’s Shocking Rank on Worst Cities For Seasonal Allergies List

You thought 2020 as an allergy sufferer was bad? 2021 is going to be even worse. 

If you're someone who suffers from seasonal allergies, did you start to get annoyed having to follow-up every sneeze or sniffle with "It's not COVID. I have allergies?" The more you said it, the more you started to think in the back of your mind "At least, I think it's allergies. Maybe I should get tested."

This year, if you've recently received a COVID-19 vaccine, you get to add the vaccine side effects into the mix. On days where pollen counts are extreme, allergy sufferers may experience fatigue and headaches. They're also common side effects of all vaccines. So which one is it? UGH.

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Allergy season is already here in Boise. I know this naturally by trying to hide my sneezes from my co-workers. I know this intelligently because I checked the Boise Valley Asthma and Allergy Clinic's pollen count page and discovered that we've already had seven days in April where the pollen count was considered "extreme" thanks to tree pollen. Cottonwood, Birch and Juniper being the biggest offenders.

I know my allergies are making me absolutely miserable. Yours might be too. It's only natural to feel like Mother Nature is trying to kill us right now between the pollen count and the endless gusty winds blowing it all over our cars, clothes and homes...but it turns out, it could be worse somewhere else.

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The Asthma and Allergy Foundation has released their list of most challenging places to live with spring allergies in 2021 and Boise isn't in the Top 10. We didn't even rank in the Top 20! Based on our seasonal pollen scores, over-the-counter medication use for allergies and number of allergy specialist, we rank #88 on a list of the 100 most populated cities in the contiguous United States. Our score of 50.94 means that we are "better than average" when it comes to quality of life for allergy suffers.