A question on the Tucson, AZ area

[hamerfan]

Hi everybody,
My wife has severe asthma/allergies. We live in the Midwest where allergens and high humidity really hurt her.
We've read the Tucson area has good air for these problems. Does anyone from the Tucson area care to comment? Good or bad, I welcome all responses.
We will be down there this July for several days, but that will not be a great representation of the area as a whole.
Thanks to all,
dumpbush

[Matsubara]

1. It's very individual.

I grew up in El Paso Tx, which has a similar climate to Tuscon's - slightly cooler because of higher elevation, but more or less the same.

Some people's allergies improve because there is less pollen than in other areas, but some people find that the low humidity irritates the nasal passages and makes them much more sensitive to pollen, etc, than in a more humid climate. I had HORRIBLE allergies in El Paso - it's the one thing I don't like about the desert. I love my hometown but I can't live there. Just spending two weeks there at Xmas is an ordeal - I have to take steroid nasal spray to deal with it.

Although there is less pollen, that doesn't mean there is none. Tucson is a big city with lots of landscaping and some agriculture, so there is some. But if mold is your problem, you will love the desert - there is almost no mold.

Another weird effect is that some people move there and have no symptoms for a few years, but eventually their body becomes sensitized to the local allergens and it all starts up again.

I have consistently found that I do best in a maritime climate. When I live within a mile of the coast with a mostly onshore flow of air, the humidity and lower pollen counts do wonders for me.

I hope you enjoy the area. I like Tucson and Flagstaff, as well as Prescott & Jerome. With the exception of Phoenix and Yuma, I love Arizona.

[hamerfan]

3. Thank you, Matsubara

I had forgotten mold, another big problem for her.
The maritime climate. I'm from Oregon, and there's a small town on the Southern Coast, Brookings, that I always thought I would retire to. She does well on the coast, but the mold in Oregon is high as well as pollen.
I will show my wife your response and keep it in mind next month. Thanks again,
dumpbush

[BonnieJW]

9. I grew up in Tucson.

I developed asthma there when I was in high school. There is terrible pollen from fruitless mulberry trees which were planted everywhere in the 60's for some reason. Many people suffer from allergic reactions to it. I have lived in Virginia for the past 30 years and this is the allergy capital of the world. I used to have so many problems that I was treated by a pulmonary specialist and was on about five different meds. About five years ago, I read an article about folic acid being very effective for allergies. Now I take one Benedryl before bed and I take 1600 mcg of folic acid (it's a B vitamin) every morning. No more meds, no more allergies, I don't even know I have a nose. Folic acid also prevents birth defects and lowers the homocycstine level (a cause of heart attack). It's amazing.

[Squatch]

14. That's good info!

I am a seasonal allergy sufferer...so I'm going to have to try that out.

[hamerfan]

17. Folic acid?

I am glad you found something that works for you,BonnieJW. I'm one of the lucky ones who does not suffer from breathing problems. It's heartbreaking to see how some people suffer just trying to draw a breath.
I will give my wife your advice and see if it helps her. 1600 mcg folic acid in the morning and a Benedryl at night. Could be the recipe she's looking for. Thanks for sharing!
dumpbush

[WilliamPitt]

2. Boulder, CO

Dry, crisp, fresh air.

[hamerfan]

5. Hi Will,

First off, THANK YOU for "House Of Ill Repute"! :woohoo:
I just finished rereading it and have loaned it to a like minded soul. Should be required reading in both current events and history classes.
Boulder is a great town and thanks for the suggestion. Unfortunately, as my wife and I are both growing older, we have a major aversion to snow! So it's looking like the Southwest for us.
dumpbush

[WilliamPitt]

8. I hear you

But the image of Colorado being this frigid wasteland is put out there by Colorado people who don't want the rest of the world to move there. :) So I hear.

Winters in Boulder, according to a friend who lived there for years, are astonishingly mild. Snow one day, 70 degrees the next.

[KharmaTrain]

4. I've Traveled In And Around Tucson...

We "snowbird" for baseball in Tucson every spring and I've gotten mixed reports from people I travel with as to the differences. Obviously, there's the temp difference...which us "northerners" are coming for...but also the lower humidity. Also, I didn't really note much heavy industry (other than the AF base...but that's polution of the noise kind) that would mess up the air.

I've never been there in the summer, so I couldn't comment on how things are when the daily temp averages over 100...but every place has AC and, inversely to how us northerners hide inside on cold or smoggy days, that's when I'm told you stick inside. I'll say I run into a lot of year-round elderly residents there...not as many as Phoenix.

Overall, Tucson is a great town...especially around the U of A campus area and it seemed a lot more laid back and affordable than either Vegas or Phoenix.

Good luck and hope all goes well. Maybe I'll catch you down there next spring.

Cheers...

[hamerfan]

6. Thank you, Kharma

We are definitely looking into the University area. Seems like those are usually the best parts of any town.
Having recently flown into Phoenix, that city was crossed off our list immediately. The smog was as bad as L.A. That can't be conducive to healthy lungs.
With Tucson, they say pollen counts are very low (supposedly zero in Kingman,AZ), and other airborne pollutants are almost nothing. This is our first concern, with jobs, hospitals and no snow making up the rest of the list.
dumpbush

[WyLoochka]

7. The Sonoran Desert is unique

It's range of bio diversity is the key to the difference, particularly it's astonishing beauty, from the other North American deserts. Unfortunately, for pollen allergic people, living in it will most likely not provide the relief they thought they would realize, as some type of flora is blooming in just about every month.

My sister, who suffered through horrible allergies for 25 years in Tulsa OK, has had no problems whatsoever since moving to the western edge (foothills of the Absaroka Mtns) of the Big Horn Basin in Wyoming. It's high - 5700 ft - and dry and the desert to the east which comprises the "Basin" does not have much diversity.

[geek_sabre]

10. Yes, It is very individual

My allergies actually got worse when I moved here (from Jan-April, at least).

If you're visiting in July, you'll probably experience Monsoon season, so even the visit won't be representative of what the climate/air is like 10 months out of the year. On the up side, maybe you'll catch a beautiful lightning show :) I currently live west of downtown, and bike to campus in about 30 minutes (its a very, very bike friendly city, if you're interested in that kind of thing). The cost of living is very low, and if you pick the right places to live, its very safe. (if you pick the wrong places, don't grow too attached to your car).

I'll be moving in the opposite direction this summer (Tucson to the midwest).

[BlackVelvet04]

11. I wouldn't suggest Tucson.....

especially down around the University. The smog has gotten terrible. We lived there about 7 years ago (we lived in the foothills at Sabino Canyon) and you could see the smog hanging downtown as you drove into Tucson. My allergies were no better there.

Don't get me wrong....I love AZ and really like Tucson but I wouldn't move to Tucson for allergy problems.

[lonestarnot]

12. If your allergic condition is smog resistant then ok move there.

:hi:

[stanwyck]

13. Just got back from visiting friends in Tucson

and loved it. We hiked every day (got up early each time) and totally enjoyed the desert. I grew up in Illinois and live in Atlanta. But it really is a totally different kind of heat. You don't feel exhausted.
I can see myself moving there.

[Cerridwen]

15. Olive trees and dust - a couple more to think about

I'm a native born desert rat from Las Vegas, NV. I recently lived a year in a small area north of Phoenix. I'm fortunate that I don't have many allergies but friends and family over the years report many problems with olive trees which are abundant in both Vegas and the Phoenix area. And dust - dust, dust, everywhere dust.

I'm not sure if Tucson has the olive tree issue - but desert equals lots of dust. Particulate matter is a problem for many with allergies/asthma and other lung problems so I thought I'd remind you of that. If that's an issue for your wife, I'd suggest you check how many days and how severe the wind is in Tucson. Most of what looked like smog over Vegas was swirling dirt and dust in the air during windy days. My last couple of years there we had many days of advisories and warnings for people with respiratory problems due to unhealthy levels of particulate matter.

Also, I was once told by a friend (who was in the medical field) that his allergies abated for a couple of years when moving to a new climate/area/environment; but they returned in response to his new environment after those first couple of years. As though his body's allergic reactions took time to adapt and become allergic to the new allergens. I'm not sure if there's medical validity in that; I'll leave it to the experts here at DU to correct me if I'm wrong.

I wish you and your wife much luck and success in finding a welcoming and healthy environment for you both.

:hi:

[hamerfan]

16. Thank you, Cerridwen!

Lots of food for thought and discussion in your post.
And a hearty thanks! to everyone who took the time to inform us of potential pitfalls/lookouts on our quest for breathable air. DU is an amazing place, with excellent resources for the asking!
dumpbush