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South Florida Trends

I will be moving to the South Florida area beginning August, 1998. I would like to know about seasonal trends for the various tree, grass, weed, mold spore, etc. pollen seasons in that area. I have allergies and I need to determine how they may be affected as compared to the Washington, DC area where I currently reside.

Thank you for any information you can provide on this concern.

Thanks for asking about Southern Florida and its aeroallergen potentials.

The major allergens in S. Florida include tree pollens in the very early springtime (Jan-March), grass pollens (April - August), ragweeds in July through October and mold spores all year around. The southern Florida region south of Vero Beach has a near tropical climate without a good killing frost which allows mold spores to propagate all year.

The western Florida coastal areas (Tampa) may have lower aeroallergens in the air when the primary wind direction is out of the west, bringing in the Gulf breezes. The reverse is true should you move to the eastern South Florida shore regions.

Indoor mite allergens are much more important in the florida climate since the living spaces usually have carpeting laid upon cement slab flooring. This creates a great place for mite nests as there is abundant microscopic mold spores as food for the mites in the carpets.

I hope this information is useful to you. remember to see an Allergy Specialist when you relocate to the tropics in Florida.

Good luck.

Steve Kagen, M.D.
Allernet.com