GR No. 18 on Fall Allergy Capital List

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) - Numerous experts predict this fall will be a sneezier-than-normal allergy season, with some cities more problematic than others.

The Fall Allergy Capitals is an annual research project of the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) to identify "the 100 most challenging places to live with allergies" during the fall season, according to its website.

This year, Louisville, Ky. is named the #1 Fall Allergy Capital.

Grand Rapids is ranked 18th (37th last year).

Detroit is 28th (50th in 2011).

The rankings are based on scientific analysis of three factors for the 100 largest metro areas in the U.S. The data measured and compared each year includes:

* Pollen scores (airborne grass/tree/weed pollen and mold spores)
* Number of allergy medications used per patient
* Number of allergy specialists per patient

A partial showing of the list --

1. Louisville, KY
2. Wichita, KS
3. Knoxville, TN
4. Jackson, MS
5. McAllen, TX
6. Dayton, OH
7. Oklahoma City, OK
8. Memphis, TN
9. Madison, WI
10. Baton Rouge, LA
18. Grand Rapids, MI
50. Detroit, MI
100. Sacramento, CA

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The complete list (pdf)