Moving to dry climate & allergies.

[huncowboy]

I realize this is not the most interesting topic for most of you. But since I spend 10 min each morning sneezing, and since I could not google much on it...

For those of you who have some allergies and have made the move already. Did the dry desert climate have any effect on your allergies? In theory dry climate should significantly alleviate allergies due to less moisture and vegetation, less pollen, etc. However I would think the dust may be disadvantageous.

So what is your experience? thanks!

[flaphandlemover]

In summer we have up to 50 degrees, 90% humidity and it's very dusty.....
My sister has alergies and she always enjoys it here... especially due to the sea (saltwater)...
But if you are in Florida... think twice to come here... You will regret it soon.. like looooooooot's of other US citizens.

Rgds

[sandblasted]

I agree, in summer it is very hot and humid, the dust varies on where you live. If you live on the corniche (beach area) the sea air does wonders for your chest but breathing Aircon every day,while sleeping and working can bring other problems I.e. sinus and stuffy cold symptoms from time to time, switching from cold to intense heat doesnt help either and with Abu being a hub for the world you tend to get nasty bugs floating around all year from each continent as people visit their home countries and return with the all year round winter colds etc.
On a plus point though, I suffered from hayfever in my past life which doesnt seem to affect me here.
If you live in the desert the sand storms invade your home , chest and every single part of your life (gone through a few vacuum cleaners trying to clear dust filled home) A few of my friends with Famiily who suffer from asthma have said their asthma symptoms worsened even living downtown.
I dont want to paint a negative picture (people do adapt to this climate ) just wanted to give my honest observation over the years spent here.
If I were you I would come over in the worst months July and Aug to get an idea before commiting to the place :ok:

[Che Xindamail]

My wife suffers from dust and mildew allergy at home. Here in the desert she has no problems at all. The dust here is fine sand in contrast to the fiber dust at home. Dry air also minimizes the risk of mildew and mold. You will probably find it an improvement.

[SURGEBLEEDVALVE]

Allergies !!

I will tell you from my experience .. I grew up in a Humid place on the Mediterranean and had a hard time dealing with it. Sneezing 24/7 and eyes watering followed by severe Asthma attacks.. No one could figure out from what! till I left to North America where I never felt a thing for Decades ! It was Humidity and rotten Carpets + dust

Recently coming back to the Middle east It hit me again.. Just keep in mind desert in the UAE doesn't mean dry atmosphere unless far away from the Ocean.. all UAE (Dubia,Sharjah,Abu Dhabi) and Jeddah are all Humid and as soon as you step outside that Airplane you will start sneezing ! I even did a surgery (Septoplasty) for my nose and it made it even worse.

Its a tough choice ... you either come here for a better future and sneeze 24/7 (unless during cruise at FL350) or stay where you are and enjoy a Sneeze free environment ;)

Stay in Dry places .. High elevation and fly as much as you can :ok:

[huncowboy]

Holy crap. I did not realize humidity was that high. It is almost as high as Florida's humidity. :confused: How is that even possible? I figure evaporation must be very high. Still, isn't that place supposed to be a desert? Or is the inland that different from the shore? I guess if I will end up there my allergies will not give me a break until one day we will find our way back to Europe... Anytime I visit home I am in good shape within just a few days. Except may be in the Spring but we almost never go home in the Spring. And that albeit the unavoidable heavy drinking.

[411A]

Holy crap. I did not realize humidity was that high. It is almost as high as Florida's humidity
Some places on the Gulf it's even higher than Florida ever is/was.
Allergies affect folks in many different ways, what is fine for one could well be terrible for others....it certainly is never a 'one size fits all' problem., as any good allergy specialist will tell you.

[Desert Diner]

Every "place" in the Gulf is next to the sea (with the exception of Riyadh) and the heat + humidity are significantly worse than you could ever experience in the US (just take my word for it).

As for allergies, the ever present dust in the air and the humidity will make them worse. Many people end up developing allergies after living here for a while.

[huncowboy]

I don't know about more humid than Florida. Kind of hard to find data but based on what I did find comparing Miami to Dubai it seems Dubai is an average 10% less humid year around. It is an improvement but a long shot from the desert image I had in my mind.

Either way this will not be a deciding factor.

[irishbecky]

Years of suffering allergies disappeared when I moved to the Gulf from Europe but they all return when I set foot back on Spanish soil!!!!! There is no set rule for all though!!

[fractional]

years of suffering allergies disappeared when I moved to the Gulf from EuropeHad the same experience, and we are 5. This is one of the few good things that happened to me. My doctor used to sat "take your family and go to a hot place where you can go to the beach very often".

[Rainboe]

My mild allergy problem has been getting noticeably worse over the years. I have to take an anti-histamine tablet for longer in the year as time passes. Once, I was passing through Perth, Australia on a day when you could see a million miles and it was looking particularly hot and dry. I envioulsy said to the ground engineer how I would like to live in a climate like that with no hayfever. He soon put me right. There is a different spread of allergies living somewhere like that.

I read that absolutely no mention is made in any written records or stories anywhere from earlier than about 1900 of asthma or hayfever or allergies. I find this quite fascinating. They apparently didn't exist. In the 60s at my schools, usually about 1 person per class suffered such that they needed an inhaler. Now anything up to 20% of schoolchildren at any one time are under asthmatic therapy. Something extraordinary is happening in human allergy, and the effect is increasing violently.

[huncowboy]

I have no doubt that allergies are the unpleasant side effect of industrialization. I had the pleasure, from age 6-14, to grow up right next to a major chemical factory built into a valley. It was completely normal for us, on a calm day when the winds did not sweep the valley to breath in air full of ammonia. I clearly remember how it was suffocating while we were waiting for the bus in the morning. The air was completely YELLOW above you. Most of my friends, my sister, etc all have some sort of allergies or respiratory problems.

[Desert Diner]

Could be chemicals in the air.

Could be more sanitary living conditions for the young. In the old days the bit of filth we were exposed to probably immunized us from allergies.

Or it could be better health care. In the old days, those that were allergic probably would have died so there would be very few people around with allergies as they would have been dead.

[Dani]

Allergies not only come from breathing air but all kind of material you can get in contact with. I got an allergy in Singapore noone could find the reason of. I also had to take cortisone drugs and anti-histamine. After leaving the place, everything stopped after a year or so.

You could also get allergies from local food. Chances are that you get new allergies in places where you never have been and your body never has been exposed to.

The only way you could find out is to try it! Go have a vacation there and you will see. At least in the short term.

I wish you good health,
Dani

[kotakota]

Dani , you may find that your 'allergy' from Singapore was actually an allergic reaction to excessive MonoSodiumGlutamate that is impossible to avoid in South East Asia unless you become obsessive with it when ordering food. I loved the food in Malaysia and Sing when I was there in the 90s but by the time I left I was in a bad way . Improved rapidly back in UK.

[recceguy]

This thread is just about americans (like all the stories about food poisoning we are constantly reminded in the cockpits)
That's one of their major weaknesses (and doctors in their country are making a fortune with that) I saw those people in operations in Saudi Arabia in the 90s and it was funny how they were afraid of everything.
Some parts of Europe with a similar way of life are also following through.
Some advices:
1. don't venture too far away from home.
2. avoid Africa.

[huncowboy]

recceguy,

wrong thread?