Allergies & Asthma in Paris & London

When you were in Italy and Spain, were you visiting the big cities, or more rural areas? Everyone's asthma is a bit different, with me car/bus/truck fumes really bother me after about three days. As much as I love London and Paris, I have to leave after a few days because it bothers my lungs so much...even with medication. In the countryside, I never have any problems.

I think it's so personal that it's hard to tell really. I don't have many problems with my asthma in London, but take me to an area of the British countryside where they grow rape and I'm wheezing all over the place. Our pollen season seems to be starting earlier in that myself and many of my friends are now getting allergies/wheezing in late April/early May. There is a UK month-by-month pollen chart for the UK here: http://www.allergyclinic.co.uk/pollenchart.htm

I have found even here in the U.S., my allergies and asthma can vary from one section of the country to another and a lot of it has to do with what types of trees, flowers/pollen or mold spores are cropping up at a particular time - some bother me and some don't, some months are awful and others are fine. Allergies can even vary widely depending on what part of the state I am in. For instance, I live in an urban area most of the year so I don't really have a problem, but if I'm in the western part of the state I sneeze all the time. The same can happen in Europe as you find your allergies and asthma aren't so bad when you go further south. As for asthma, do you know if you have exercise-induced asthma? Maybe you lead a more sedentary life when you are here in the U.S. and use the car to get everywhere, but when you go to Europe you are likely walking for hours each day, climbing stairs in subway stations or in Cathedrals and you can get exercise-induced asthma since you are exerting yourself more than you normally would. It's really a crap shoot to go later in the summer as different types of plants and trees are cycling into their prime growing seasons. So unless you know exactly what you are allergic to and what is growing in that area, it's hard to tell if you will or won't have a problem. Probably best to speak with your doctor and have him prepare you by giving you whatever allergy pills, nasal sprays and inhalers you might need in advance of your trip. You'll either use them or you won't.

My allergy problem in Europe is mouldy bathrooms, and there are alot of them - only bother people with this allergy. Have you ever had allergy testing done to determine just what you are allergic to?

Barb has the best suggestion. Everything else is just idle speculation.

Thanks for all of the replies! I've had allergies for a long time (and have been tested multiple times), and I can typically control them well with prescriptions. I think the pollution of the large cities might have some effect, but I don't think that's the major cause. I don't have these problems in NYC or other big cities. It seemed to be different in Paris and London than anywhere else, so I was wondering if maybe they have a unique allergy season, or a type of allergen that isn't typical in other regions. I think it was probably a combination of several factors... high allergy season with lots of stuff blooming, pollution, a different environment, etc. I know in Paris there was a lot of dust and particles that you could see floating in the air.