Spring allergies? If you live in Charlotte, you are SOL

The Story

Charlotte is one of the worst cities you can live in for spring allergies. Every year, the Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America ranks which US cities are the worst for allergy sufferers. Charlotte has ranked as high as 3.

Here are 3 reasons why:

I can’t get enough images like this one of trees blossoming around Charlotte. My allergies on the other hand… #CLT pic.twitter.com/gWdkBd81W5

— Vicki Graf (@VickiGrafWSOC9) March 25, 2015

(1) Blame the trees: Don’t look at the spring flowers as the culprits. Or even the beautifully flowering trees. It’s the wind-pollinated varieties making you miserable: the oaks, hickories, maples, elms, ashes, birches and black walnuts.

Allergies will be the death of me

— Charlotte Smith (@Charlotte_712) March 19, 2015

(2) Blame global warming: Some studies have linked increased carbon dioxide levels to both an increase in pollen count and potency of the pollen.

You mean my allergies will get worse? UGH! “@theobserver: Yellow pollen dust about to descend on Charlotte region pic.twitter.com/Bgf0T0qdDr”

— Cat Mahaffey (@CatMahaffey) March 28, 2015

(3) Blame living in the Southeast: Our rollercoaster springs — it’s cold, it’s warm, it’s cold – prompts our trees to release their pollen all at once. It’s a full frontal assault on our noses.

C5’s Advice

We love living in the Carolinas, but this pollen stuff makes spring insane. We hate to suggest this, but the experts say you should stay inside with the windows down. Maybe it’s a good time to binge watch Game of Thrones …

Photos by: AP/HBO Helen Sloan; John D. Simmons/Charlotte Observer

This story was originally published March 28, 2015 at 9:35 PM with the headline "Spring allergies? If you live in Charlotte, you are SOL."